City Council has rejected the Toronto District School Board's (TDSB) plans for a year-round sports dome and facility at Central Tech High School. The school at Bathurst and Harbord, was set to get a $6 million dollar revitalization to its outdoor track field as part of the TDSB's plans to improve school fields in poor conditions. City council refused the plans deeming it an "inappropriate development proposal for the land." Plans for the field included an insulated dome, outdoor lighting, an Olympic-sized track and upgrades to the change rooms, the outdoor facility available year-round to students and the community.
Trinity-Spadina Councillor Adam Vaughan had opposed the winterized dome while Mayor Rob Ford was all for it (Mayor Ford even showed up at the Central Tech community meeting. Side note. The mayor's car was illegally parked). Councillor Vaughan had tried to stop the dome by trying to declare the school a heritage site. Concerned residents had petitioned against the dome, mailing flyers to households in the South Harbord Village community and starting this online petition. Members of the Save the CTS Field Facebook page updated their status with a cheer saying when they heard the news:
We won!!! The Committee of Adjustment voted to REJECT the proposal to change the variance of the field from "educational" to "private." "Refused on the grounds that it is not a minor variance and is not an appropriate use of the land."-Committee of Adjustment Chair. As for now, both students and local residents won't be able to use the current running field — the field's been temporarily because of contaminated soil.
· Mayor Ford & Community Debate Over High School's New Dome [Curbed Toronto]
· Is Central Tech's New Dome Doomed by Contaminated Soil? [Curbed Toronto]