Toronto Star

The future is closer than you think. On the waterfront, it's unfolding as you read this. That's not necessarily good news, but neither is it bad. A project as big and complex as this will encompass victories as well as defeats. Even in these early days, we've experienced both. For the moment, however, the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corp, now called Waterfront Toronto (WT), is focused on the East Bayfront – the land east of Yonge to Cherry St. south of Lake Shore Blvd. to Lake Ontario. Later this week, WT will issue two RFQs (request for qualifications) for two sites with this area. The idea is to draw up a short list of development teams that can get shovels into the ground in the months ahead. Because the process is open, groups from around the world can apply. According to WT CEO John Campbell, there has been interest from as far away as Europe, Australia and the Middle East. This bodes well for the project, which could use as much foreign input as possible. Though the relentlessly optimistic Campbell is loath to admit it, his agency has had to battle to get city approval to build sustainable communities appropriate to the 21st century.