THE FIXER Walking hurdles
One of Toronto’s most curious sidewalk problems is about to be fixed.
In July 2004, we reported on a strange barricade on the north side of King St., east of Parliament St., and a raised plywood platform on the sidewalk right beside it. It looks like a series of runners’ hurdles pushed too close to each other.
It’s in front of a historic building at the corner of King and Parliament that now houses shops and other businesses. The sidewalk had become unstable and required reinforcement from underneath. The basement of the building extends out under the sidewalk, which means the reinforcing work had to be done from inside the basement.
Since the infirmity causing the sidewalk problem was inside the building, the city decided about five years ago that the owner was responsible for fixing it. But the owner declined and the city didn’t have the legal means to force him to make the repairs. We’ve received numerous complaints about it for well over a year and checked recently with the city’s Rob Orpin on the status. Orpin said the building has been sold and the new owners want the problem fixed, so that the barricades and plywood platform can be taken down. We’ll let you know when the sidewalk is finally open.
What’s broken in your neighbourhood?
Wherever you are in the GTA, we want to know. To email us, go to thestar.com, click on the GTA tab, then click on The Fixer. Or call us at 416-869-4823.