TORONTO — The Ontario government is investing $44 million to build the new Lower Yonge Precinct Elementary School, which will create a podium school within a new mixed-use condominium project.
The project, which is unique in Ontario, will be undertaken in collaboration with the Toronto District School Board and Menkes Developments.
Located at Yonge and Harbour Streets in Toronto, the school will provide 455 student spaces for the lower Yonge and waterfront neighbourhoods.
The project is part of a provincewide investment of more than $600 million to support new school and child care spaces. The overall investment will support 78 school and child care related projects.
The spending is part of the provincial government’s plan to provide $14 billion to support school construction over 10 years. There are currently more than 300 child care and education building-related projects in development across Ontario with more than 100 actively under construction, adds the release.
Toronto Mayor John Tory said, “The new Lower Yonge Precinct Elementary School will be a great new addition to our city and will provide much-needed space for students. We know that in a growing city like Toronto, we need unique and creative approaches to creating important public spaces like schools.
“This new project between the provincial government and Menkes Development will bring the school right into the community at a new mixed-use condominium. If we want to build up this city and our neighbourhoods, we need to ensure that residents have access to all the services they need, including schools — this is one example of how we will achieve this.”
Interesting approach, I wonder why the developers (in general) aren’t required to pay for the costs of the school construction. Development fees wont cover this cost. The school spaces are required to service these buildings that they are constructing. Should this cost fall on taxpayers?