On June 17, the Globe and Mail’s Marcus Gee wrote a column about the Bloor Street reconstruction, and briefly mentioned Roncesvalles. He writes: On Roncesvalles Avenue, too, a major renovation is coming to a happy end. As on Bloor, the street had to be torn up for major work – in Roncey’s case, the laying of new streetcar tracks. The merchants took advantage of the opportunity to spruce up the streetscape. Handsome, pale grey paving stone has been laid for the new, wider sidewalk, with planters, benches and raised transit stops that allow easier access to streetcars for strollers and wheelchairs. New street-level tree planters, replacing the old, raised “tree coffins,” hold 85 new trees, from oaks to maples to chestnuts. There were delays here, too, and lots of complaints from irritated merchants and residents. The belated discovery that a gas main lay too close to the new tracks meant that the project could not be finished last fall as expected. A dispute with a contractor over manpower caused holdups, too. But the job is on budget and just two weeks from completion, city officials say, with crews laying the final paving stones, putting in bike rings and clearing debris. Councillor Gord Perks says the city held no fewer than 37 community meetings on the design of the street, dealing with everything from the colour of the pavers to the design of the tree grates. The result is quite marvellous. Roncesvalles, always a lively street, with its pastry shops, delis, bike stores, public library and Revue cinema, was looking a little tired before the do-over. The renovation has given it a fresh, new face. For all the pain they cause, projects like these are just what an ambitious city should be doing, seizing the chance to transform mediocre streetscapes into something better. How it was different on Roncy It’s nice to see that the hard work of the past several years is showing great results! But as nice as Bloor Street looks, the Roncesvalles reconstruction was different in a few important ways: the Bloor Street transformation was funded and driven by the merchants of Bloor Street. This allowed the merchants considerable freedom to shape a public right-of-way to suit their own interests. For the most part, these interests align with those of the public, who will now benefit from beautiful granite sidewalks and new trees without having to pay for any of it. On the other hand, public space on Bloor has been given over for valet parking, while bike parking has been reduced. On Roncesvalles, the project was largely driven by the community, and was mostly publicly funded, with the BIA being just one stakeholder among many. Bloor Street cost $20 million just for the streetscape improvements. The Roncesvalles streetscape improvements (leaving aside the costs of sewer/water main/track replacement, etc.) did not cost nearly as much. Much of the added value came from coordination, community consultations, and by leveraging every opportunity to piggy-back off reconstruction work that was going to happen anyway. Beauty does not necessarily require huge expense. But it does need a little forethought, support from the councillor, a dedicated staff and an engaged community. instead of seeking a “grand vision” that would set the street apart from others, Roncesvalles Renewed intended for the Roncy reconstruction to set a new standard for all streets. While the Bloor transformation is unlikely to be duplicated elsewhere, we hope that Roncesvalles will serve as a model for other communities. For example, the other week I had a chat with folks from the Bloorcourt BIA, and I stressed the importance of bringing in Urban Forestry early on in the streetscape design process. My hope is that after Roncesvalles, it will be standard practice at the City to think of trees as part of the infrastructure, and not as a decorative afterthought. Roncesvalles did not begin as a grand vision that got scaled back as reality set in. It began as a “state-of-good repair” project that grew as new opportunities were discovered. And so, instead of the status quo that was originally planned, Roncesvalles now has new trees planted in healthy growing conditions, new public spaces, no more two-level sidewalk tripping hazards, accessible TTC stops, new benches, new pedestrian lights, new landscaping and other features. This could not have happened without continuous engagement between the City and the community, working together to seek out new ways of making the project even better. Anyway, I think there is something very special about how the Roncesvalles renewal came about, and I am very pleased to see that the beautiful results are being recognized. Cheers, John Bowker Parking and Beautification Chair Roncesvalles Village BIA www.roncesvallesvillage.ca If you would like a home in this established neighbourhood; please feel free to contact me for a list of homes that are currently listed for sale, or enter your criteria here http://Bit.Ly/GetDave Call today as these homes are snapped up quickly. David@davidpylyp.com

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	<!--First 500 words of description-->Great Roncesvalles Location Surrounded By Residential Development. One Block South Of Subway! Plenty Of Parking On Property. Drive-In Door At Rear Lane. Open Space With 12' Clear Height. Landlord Willing To Discuss Leasehold Improvements For Potential Change Of Use. Direct Loading Access At Front And Rear, All Information To Be Verified. All Showings Business Hours Only- 10Am-6Pm Monday To Friday, 10Am-4Pm Saturday. All Appoinments Must Be Thru Listing Brokerage. Do Not Disturb Tenant. More Description

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Information is deemed to be correct but not guaranteed. Listing info is provided by the listing agent and must be verified. Due to the privacy act (PIPEDA), only the asking price of any listing will ever be published. Anne Lok does not take any responsibility for information on any handshake listings approved by Point2Agent.

Just to western edges of Parkdale is Roncesvalles Village, nicknamed Roncy. This street is a delight to spend an afternoon strolling and getting familiar with the neighborhood. There are lots of people about and its very kid friendly too. There are tons of cafes, delis, gift shops and wonderful green grocers on every corner.

This neighborhood is very vibrant, full of life and energy. Just off on the side streets are large victorians with well manicured lawns. This is solid neighborhood and just minutes away from downtown Toronto, by TTC or easy access to the Gardiner Expressway. There good schools in the area and lots of parkland too. High Park, one of the largest park is just to the west, a short walk and you would be there in no time.

There is also a fantastic farmers market that is opened year round, in the summer months its located in Sorauren Park on Monday from 3-7:00pm. During the winter the farmers market is held in Wabash Fieldhouse. Their is such a strong sense of community here. I really like this neighborhood and its the perfect place for young families in the heart of the city.

A fantastic place to live and a treat to visit on hot summers day.

Recently, BlogTO posted an articleon how Roncesvalles businesses are struggling during the reconstruction, a reminder of the importance of supporting local businesses during the holiday season. I urge all Roncesvalles residents, please, to brave the occasional dust blast (and chilly breeze), and drop by your local shops, services and restaurants. We need you now more than ever!

The article mentions a few business closures. However, it is not clear that all these closures were due to the reconstruction. In the article, the Queen of Tarts owner said her decision to close was a long time coming after several years in business. And the Second Cup faced a number of problems unrelated to the reconstruction. What is certain, however, is that business is down, and the 30 percent drop that Len from Pollocks reported sounds typical for the street. Is there way of mitigating the disruption during the second phase of construction (to begin in the spring with the streetcar track and sidewalk repairs)?

In addition to urging continued local support for Roncesvalles businesses, the BIA would like to ask community members for their observations of how this first phase of construction has been managed. What can be done better to ensure that the second phase proceeds as smoothly as possible? Good suggestions should be incorporated into the tender document, which will be sent out shortly.

Here are my own observations:

1) Do more to ensure pedestrian movement: Quite often during the first phase, pedestrians were required to walk a block or more out of their way just to cross the street. This effectively cut off businesses from half their customers. The new contract should state that pedestrian crossings shall be maintained at each block except when this is absolutely impossible. Eachhour that a pedestrian crossing was closed made a difference to businesses across the street.

2) Manage the dust: Far more than parking and car access, I personally would say that dust and noise were the main factors keeping customers (my customers at least) off the street. The jackhammers only lasted a week or so out front, but the dust remained far longer. This meant that whenever a bus drove by, a huge cloud of dust was stirred up and thrown into people's faces. Even after the first blast, micro particles would linger in the air, making the street unpleasant for everyone and intolerable for those with even mild allergies. I often noticed that several people would return to the street after it rained, most likely because the moist dirt did not throw up dust. I would urge the city to send out street cleaning vehicles regularly during the reconstruction to keep the dust under better control.

3) Contain the mess: Right now, there are several blocks along the street that are finished but are still closed off due to staging materials. Wherever possible, the City should insist that staging materials be kept on the same block where work is occurring or just one block adjacent. Whenever a block can be opened up, however partially, it should be.

4) Preserve bike parking: whenever bike posts must be removed in order to reconstruct the sidewalk, temporary bike parking should be provided nearby. Car traffic may need to be restricted along Roncesvalles, but there is no reason bike traffic or parking should be. By the way, in September, Roncesvalles Renewed member Mark Ellwood counted 194 bikes parked along Roncesvalles, compared to the average of 145 parked cars Mark observed in 2008 while completing his thoroughly-researched parking survey. Last August, traffic guru Tom Vanderbilt wrote in Slate about the importance of bike parking.
Are there any other suggestions? Please contact the BIA atinfo@roncesvallesvillage.ca! Join the discussion on reconstruction management to share your thoughts.

The community understands that the reconstruction work is absolutely necessary to avoid having streetcars run off their rails. And disruption is inevitable with any reconstruction. But there is always room for improvement in how such things are managed. Let's make sure the lessons learned during this first phase are incorporated into the second! John Bowker Parking and Beautification Chair Roncesvalles Village BIA

David Pylyp; Being from the "neighbourhood" I asked a few proprietors on Roncesvalles what their thoughts were?

.. business is off by almost 30% and from talking with other stores, I know they are also struggling. The HST will have a huge additional impact on smaller less capitalized businesses... he continued.. Its going to be very hard to get through this winter and then the rent increases are coming with the new HST. Business will be hurt even more. That plus the normal increases for heat and hydro will change the Roncesvalles Streetfront.

So lets recap. Strength through creativity and opportunity, savvy business skills, belief in your product in the face of ongoing competition and hard work. Sound familiar? Sure But Now you need to get people in the door. Would you walk with your stroller down a line of steel gates?
Add your comments? What is your solution?

RONCESVALLES POLISH FESTIVAL 2009 - SEPTEMBER 19 and 20, 2009

Yes, Roncesvalles is under construction, but the party will go on.

If you haven't been, you should attend. It's a great party. FREE ADMISSION.

Don't miss the annual "Dance under the Stars" - 8:30 to 11:00 - on Saturday night.

Also starting at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, don't miss the piano recitals - until about 7 p.m.

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Go early ... have breakfast at the Butler's Pantry ....

.... then maybe stop for a coffee at Alternative Grounds....

or .... Coffee and All That Jazz ....

stop for lunch at Granowska's or Chopin (yummy dumplings and perogies) ...

If you would prefer Indian Food, Thai Food, or even Portuguese Food,

you can find those in the neighbourhood as well

(but I would recommend sticking to Polish, since after all, it's the Polish Festival)

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Getting to the Festival is easy.

If you're on the Bloor subway line, take it to the Dundas West Station.

Walk south on Dundas, for about 1 block, and you've arrived.

The 501 Queen Streetcar, or the 504 King Streetcar,
take you right through Roncesvalles Village -
but since part of the road will be closed,
you probably will only go as far as the foot of Roncesvalles.

If you want to drive there, the two best places to park are at
Howard Park and Roncesvalles at the Green P,
and also on Dundas, just north of Bloor, also at the Green P.

Remember some roads will be closed,
and all the side streets will have no access to Roncesvalles....
so you're probably better off walking or taking the TTC.

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Sylvie Conde, Broker
Sutton Group-Associates Realty Inc., Brokerage 416-966-0300
Independently Owned & Operated
sconde@sutton.com
www.sylvieconde.com
www.torontorealestatelife.com

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