WHY MADISON AVE. LOCATION & SITE ARE TOTALLY UNSUITABLE FOR AN ESTONIAN COMMUNITY CENTRE
The most important components of a community centre are: the right location with sufficient space, air and light, convenient access by all means of transportation including walking, space functionality that meets the community’s multi- needs, and sufficient parking on the site and in the near vicinity.
Madison Ave. location and site are totally unsuitable for an Estonian Community Centre for the following reasons:
• No. 9 Madison site is only 12,000 sf. and is too small to accommodate the needs of the Estonian Community Centre.
• 6,000 sf. of the area is dedicated to be used as a public park, which is to be maintained by the Estonian community including liabilities associated with maintaining a public space.
• No. 11 Madison site is only 4,900 sf. and has a 100 year old, 2 ½ storey historic- residential building.
• The Madison Project cost is outlandishly high because of the unsuitability of the site.
• No parking is available on the Madison site or along the road.
• Madison Ave. is a narrow, single lane, one way traffic, local service road.
• Madison Ave. is difficult to access and more difficult to exit to Bloor St.
• Madison Ave. site is located directly over 4 subway lines.
• There will be subway shaking, rattling and noise transferred into the buildings.
• A 60 ft. TTC Right of way runs through the site and cannot be used for buildings.
• Madison site may not be safe, especially at night.
• Madison Sports Bar creates a lot of trouble, noise and unruly behaviour. Madison park is not safe and is used by noisy students and street people.
• 3 new high-rise buildings will be surrounding the project site, locating the building into the backyard of the 3 high-rises, drawing increased traffic, noise and population density.
• High-rise buildings surrounding the project will create serious wind tunnel effects at grade level and allow limited amount of sunlight.
• The streetscape will be compromised by two sets of service openings, ramps and garbage container storage areas for high-rise buildings.
• The Community Centre will not be a NEW BUILDING, but a 100 year old residential building with some new additions.
• The building will not be a “Class A” building and will not earn maximum rentals.
• There will not be enough rental space to earn income to cover expenses.
The Madison Ave. location and site, behind Tartu College, are totally unsuitable and unacceptable for an Estonian Community Centre. Tartu College is a 60 year old students residence building that has never been the centre of Estonian activities.
None of the above described problems exist at the Broadview Estonian House, which is and has been the Estonian Community Centre since 1960. It is in safe and sound condition despite the lack of care over the past 10 years by the Board of Estonian House. It has all the needed components, convenient access, sufficient on site and near vicinity parking, and sufficient space to earn rental income to meet the needs of the Estonian Community now, and in the future. The Estonian House can be renovated to suit the needs of our community for a fraction of the cost of the Madison Project.
Guido Laikve, Architect (Ret)
Viimased kommentaarid
Kommentaarid on kirjutatud EWR lugejate poolt. Nende sisu ei pruugi ühtida EWR toimetuse seisukohtadega.
To Moominmamma25 Feb 2018 00:21
Moominmamma (Finnish: Muumimamma, Swedish: Muminmamman) – the mother of Moomintroll. She very rarely gets cross and takes even the most distressing circumstances (such as the arrival of a comet, or being washed away by a flood) in her stride. Moominmamma would permit anything to her child and his friends, even smoking in the comics (she says it's good for the stomach). Moominmamma is almost never without her handbag, which contains essentials like woolly socks, tummy powder, and bark. She makes bark boats every summer, and the first one goes to her favorite.
Moominmamma: please take this distressing of circumstances in stride. Don't get cross. Use your wisdom to realize the wisdom of Kadri's words and intention. She may have well meant "inaccessible sides street north of Chinatown". Though this is semantics really and focusing on this detail misses the valid points she is making.
Moominmama24 Feb 2018 20:40
Chinatown is south of College, fyi.
Kadri (Roman) Wichman24 Feb 2018 07:14
The building complex at 958 Broadview is certainly NOT “irredeemably unfit” for sustainable community use. Totally 100% opposite! 958 is BEYOND the PERFECT SITE and location in ALL meaningful, sustainable ways! It’s incredible that Toronto eestlased actually have THAT SPECIFIC site with alll its natural amenities! (It is the parking lot behind Tartu, that is unsuitable in every single way for eestlased -at least for those eestlased who want an elav seltskondlik, oma- kodus, mugav, privaatne ja safe olek. If you want to present eestlus in showcase form, then Madison street is for you. (How long are you gonna stand there behind those glass walls,...and who exactly is looking at you...?)
As for 958 being an ugly building? —- , it wasn’t ugly in it’s heydey, was it? It was new and revamped by our parents’ generation in the best that they could do! It had open arms toward one and all! The building can, of course and for Heaven’s sake!, be redesigned, and use of space reconfigured. EVERYTHING and ANYTHING can be done and redone on that specific site better than anywhere else!
We all get old, worn out, outdated, wrinkly, grey, crippled and finally ….ugly—even us.! 958 has spirit, substance and heart... but it’s getting old and tired, needs a little ‘tugi’, support, care, help, attention, love just like an aging parent. "Paluksin veid abi...?". I am not ready to kick the EM, much less this awesome 958 SITE, to the curb and pretend that a small, glass shadowbox showcase beside the ‘VÄLIS -Eestlaste Archives’, (no less) ,in the shade, on some inaccessible downtown side street next to Chinatown is now ‘beautiful’.
To me, THAT would be “one of the ugliest and least functional buildings on the planet - inside and out”. (...getting külmavärinad just thinking about it.)
A Mausoleum next to the Archives? Toronto eestlaste Hauakivi?
As for Financials, there should be a cash-call to EM shareholders.(100$ per share for approx 6,000 shareholders for one year= $600,000.00 dollars.!! ) Investing that there will be enough money for ANY renewal, reconstruction,repair. Should have been requested a while back already…..(Can’t take credit for that idea… someone else’ )
Time to grow up, help out, fix up, ’take ownership’ of the Eesti Maja problems. I am not on the Madison parade toward glory and won’t be duped into thinking that it is magnificent to sell 958. nor am I even close to believing that it's the best we can do.
I resent the distasteful "jõu" tactics used so far….Häbi, in that department..
Rõõmsaid 100 a Vabariigi Aastapäeva pühitsemisi! Palju Onne väike, ilus, uhke Eestimaa ja Rahvas!
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