The Obscenity Of Your City Councillors

The art of affordable housing
By SUE-ANN LEVY

So let me get this straight.

Mayor David Miller and his NDP minions are on a veritable crusade to create 1,000 units of affordable housing each year for the next 10 years.

I heard just last week how his special $3.1-million Affordable Housing office is buzzing with new affordable projects, ground breakings, ribbon cuttings and the like. Deputy city manager Sue Corke was positively over the moon about a Request for Proposal (RFP) that had just closed days before to bring another 600 units on stream.

One of the applicants for that RFP is Verdiroc Developments Corp. with 190 units proposed at 48 Abell St. in the West Queen West Triangle -- an industrial building that has been turned into studio/living spaces for artists.

The Verdiroc plan is to build that 18-storey affordable rental building in conjunction with St. Clare's Multifaith Housing Society, a not-for-profit on the city's A list.

In fact, as Verdiroc's lawyer David Bronskill told me, of the 1,400 units in the pipeline as of last June, 400 of them were created by St. Clare's and Verdiroc. "These are the heavyweights of affordable housing," Bronskill said.

But never mind that. It seems the same council who embrace affordable housing with a religious fervour would sooner make a political statement, or appease a few starving artists much as they did with the Toronto islanders.

In a decision bordering on ludicrous, council voted 31-11 earlier this week to appeal a recent OMB ruling paving the way for the 48 Abell St. development, along with two other buildings on the site.

The appeal is far, far from a sure thing. Coun. Doug Holyday, who voted against it, said the city could end up spending $1 million on a court case they have a "poor chance of winning."

Yet in a speech worthy of an Oscar, Miller said there was "no more important" OMB decision to overturn because he needs to ensure there is "no net loss of jobs" in creative spaces -- implying the current artists would move out of the 48 Abell site, once redeveloped, because they would not be able to afford it. "Even Jane Jacobs spoke of the importance of old buildings where entrepreneurs start their creativity," he said.

Coun. Adam Giambrone, who represents the area, suggested that the developer refused to include affordable housing for the artists that is especially designed as live-work space.

Cary Green, Verdiroc's executive v-p of development bristled at Giambrone's words. He said in the 21/2 years they've worked on the project with city planning officials they've done everything to respect the needs of the artists there -- creating an affordable building with "special units all designed for the artists," a public gallery and a commitment to use their art for the decor.

Green said the city even recognized 48 Abell St. as an "absolute desirable" affordable housing site by giving it relief on development charges two years ago.

He feels a small "loud" local group of artists are crying in the mayor's and Giambrone's ears about not wanting affordable housing in that neighbourhood. Green also thinks the mayor and his team are using his development to take on the OMB.

For heck's sake. I can't make this kind of lunacy up. If their mouths were shaped like stop signs, the socialists would be talking out of all eight sides.

Look, if council really wanted to be responsive to a vocal majority, why didn't they take on the OMB over the obscenely high Four Seasons Yorkville development which everyone in my own neighbourhood was against.

Guess one can only be a NIMBY if you're a starving artist that is building the so-called creative city Miller can only dream about.

Green wonders why any developer would invest their time in Toronto, given the socialist attitude at City Hall. I agree.

"The message to the development community is you go through the whole process and play by the rules and at the end of the day it means nothing," he said. "Why should people develop here?"