New Gardiner options free up land, at a cost

City staff present councillors with three hybrid alternatives to plan approved in June

City staff want councillors to essentially forget the east Gardiner Expressway plan they approved in June after a bruising marathon debate.

Directed to look at options for improving the narrowly approved plan, staff are now recommending three reconfigured versions of the “hybrid” elevated link to the Don Valley Parkway.

All three open up more land for development. Two would cost taxpayers significantly more than the council-approved plan to rebuild the existing link and replace the ramp down to Leslie St. with an at-grade boulevard.

Extra development opportunities could partially offset the higher costs, a new report says.

What is not on the table is the cheapest option — replacing the elevated portion east of Jarvis St. with a ground-level boulevard — favoured by downtown councillors.

The options to be considered by the public works committee next week are:

New realigned eastbound off-ramp connecting to Lake Shore Blvd. that would run close to the Gardiner without affecting adjacent develop- ment lands. Cost: $260 million short-term “net present value,” the same as the council-approved plan Land implications: Opens about 8.5 acres for new development.

Reconstruct elevated link between Cherry St. and the DVP along a more northerly alignment through the Keating Precinct, a Lower Donlands community. Cost: $350 million to $400 million net present value. Land implications: Opens about 12.5 acres for new development.

Reconstruct elevated link between Cherry St. and the DVP along a more northerly alignment through the Keating Precinct, a Lower Donlands community. Also, widen the Don River rail bridge to enable tighter turns onto the DVP. Cost: $380 million to $440 million net present value. Land implications: Opens about 13.5 acres for new development.