What’s next for the Campus Core Revitalization
Last month, we were excited to inform the Ryerson community about the successful completion of key infrastructure upgrades along Nelson Mandela Walk. We are now sharing an update about upcoming work on Victoria Street and the status of Gould Street construction.
We understand that the ongoing nature of these improvements creates disruption and impacts how you move through campus. We thank you for your ongoing patience and support. As the project unfolds, we will continue to provide information and updates as they become available to keep our community in the loop on progress and access restrictions on campus.
New construction on Victoria Street
As part of the next phase of Campus Core Revitalization (CCR), we are moving forward with improvements along the southern part of Victoria Street. These will include:
- substantially widening the sidewalk
- improving sidewalk safety and accessibility by the parking garage entrance
- installing new and improved lighting
- adding networking cable ducts to future-proof our campus and provide pathways for improved connectivity
Impact on Victoria Street
As a first step, the planters that run alongside the Victoria Building (VIC) will be removed and some excavation work will begin this week.
There will be lane reductions on Victoria Street. Please follow the directions on signage and the instructions of the contractor’s traffic-management crew. Use caution entering and exiting the garage. There will be additional enforcement of the posted no-stopping by-law on Victoria Street. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to use Bond Street as a pick-up and drop-off location.
300 Victoria Street Parking Garage
The Parking Garage (PKG) at 300 Victoria Street will remain open during this early work. In April, more comprehensive work will begin. At that time, Victoria Street and the parking garage will be closed and will reopen once the work is completed.
University Business Services will contact parking permit holders in the coming weeks to provide alternate options. In consideration for public safety during this time, VIC and Heaslip House and The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education (CED) will be accessible to pedestrians from the north near Lake Devo.
Temporary partial opening of Gould Street
Ryerson’s contractor is partially opening Gould Street so that east-west pedestrian routes are available. The intersection of Gould Street and Victoria Street will be partially opened, however in the future this may need to change.
Pedestrians will be able to travel from Yonge Street to Bond Street via the south sidewalk of Gould. The fencing will also be reconfigured to ensure that the accessible ramp to the Library Building remains in service during the work. The Campus Store will remain open.
A monkey-wrench in the works: Emergency utility repairs
You may have noticed chimney-like structures on Gould Street. These are unrelated to any Ryerson project. Public utility crews from the City of Toronto and Enwave have determined that a major emergency repair project must be undertaken. To complete this emergency repair, Enwave will need to excavate a channel, section by section, along Gould Street.
During these repairs, fencing will be in flux
While the utility companies are working on these repairs, the CCR crews will prioritize their work on the north side of the Gould Street sidewalk with the goal of restoring an east-west path of travel for the length of the street.
Due to the uncertainty regarding the emergency repairs, the schedule for the reopening of Gould Street remains in flux as the engineers for the utilities develop their strategy and schedule within our project zone.
To minimize impact, Ryerson’s CCR contractor will complete the paving along Gould Street as Enwave fills in each excavated section. As much as possible, portions of Gould Street will be reopened when feasible and safe. Accessible entrances and access to the Campus Store will be maintained during all work by Ryerson and public utility crews.
Questions?
We will continue to update the community by email as more news becomes available. Visit the Campus Core Revitalization page for more details about this project.
For comments or questions about this project, please contact Nic de Salaberry, director, planning and development, by email at desalaberry@torontomu.ca or by phone at 416-979-5000, ext. 553428.
For media inquiries, please contact Brian Tran, communications and media relations, by email at brian2.tran@torontomu.ca or by phone at 416-979-5000, ext. 3339.
