'A bridge to nowhere:' London city councillor looks to derail signature civic project

A London city councillor is looking to derailwhat's being billed as signature civic project by introducing a motion at city hallthat wouldredirect $5 million away from a river revitalization project that would see the construction of the Ribbon of the Thames,a giant elevated boardwalk over the city's waterway.

The Ribbonis the centrepiece of the Back to the RiverProject, an ambitious $10 million waterfront revitalization along a five-kilometre stretch of the Thames that looks toreimaginethe waterway's role in the community, making it more visible,accessible and easier on the eye.

The effort is being spearheaded by the London Community Foundation (LCF) in partnership with city hall and the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority.

The project looks to replicate similar post-industrialinitiatives in American cities such as Chicago, San Antonio and Los Angeles, where reviving decrepit and often polluted waterways usheredin new growth and urban development, transformingthe river into a connective feature, rather than a barrier that divides sections of the city.

Years of work and at least a million dollars have already gone into the project, including an environmental assessment that upon its completion will likely give the riverfront redevelopment the all-clear, if it receives city council's blessing.

'A bridge to nowhere'

OnMonday, council will vote on whether to reaffirm the $5 million already earmarked, or redirect it to other public ventures within the city that have yet to be decided.

We want to spend five million dollars on a bridge to nowhere over the forks of the Thames?- Shawn Lewis, ward two councillor

"We want to spend five million dollars on a bridge to nowhere over the forks of the Thames? To me that's not good priority setting," said ward two councillor Shawn Lewis, who has introduced a motion on Monday that wouldredirect the money away from the riverfront project.

Lewis said he doesn't imagine himself ever using the elevated boardwalk over the river at the forks of the Thames, nor do many of the constituents he's spoken to about the project in his east London ward.

He also has concerns that the project could be marred by the fact the area is prone to flooding in the spring and is asewage outlet for storm water overflows during heavy rains.

"We also still dump raw sewage into the Thames every time we have a heavy rainfall event," he said. "Do we really want to go down to the forks of the river and literally look at crap flowing downstream?"

Concerns may be misplaced

However, city staff have said that Lewis' concerns about human waste floating by the proposed boardwalk may be misplaced, since the city is currently working on separating the sewer system to mitigate the problem during overflow events, which happen only during severe weather.

This isn't just about a pretty river, this about economic stimulus in our community.- Martha Powell, CEO of the London Community Foundation

Worries about flooding in the spring is also a red herring, according to Martha Powell, president and CEO of the London Community Foundation, the charity spearheading the riverfront project.

She said flood-proofing has already been incorporated into the design, which is the culmination of years of research.

"We know what we can do and what we can't do," she said, noting the Ribbon and the rest of the project, which would revitalize a five-kilometre stretch of the Thames River from Oxford Street to Adelaide Street has a number of spinoff benefits for the community.

"This isn't just about a pretty river, this about economic stimulus in our community, civic pride, re-engagement, all the things that are going to move our community forward in a really visionary way," she said.

Turning blight into beauty

Powell points to a number of cities such as New York, Pittsburgh and Chicagothat turned what was once aless-than-idyllic blight into picturesque beauty with new parks, walkways andoverlooks that have led to post-industrial revivals in the surrounding community.

"We have learned that the stimulus from revisiting a waterfront, redeveloping it has stimulated the economy on the average of about30 dollars for every dollar invested," she said.

The Back to the River project also seeks to forge new connections between areas of the city, through walkways and trails, even bridges that would improve public use of the waterway and reduce the isolation of emerging neighbourhoods, such as SoHo.

"It's a neighbourhood that needs some help and if we can develop a riverfront amenity that would take people down to the river, I think it's going to stimulate the surrounding community through business, art, all the attractions that will benefit the community again," she said.

Affordable housing not in doubt

"The SoHo neighbourhood is still quite isolated," she said. "The river can be like a road to join communities. That's so important to us."

There have been reports that if council votes in favour of Shawn Lewis' motion to redirect the $5 million, it could threaten an affordable housing project that's been proposed for the former grounds of London's South Street hospital.

That's not the case, however, since Martha Powell said the $3 million dollars the LCF has earmarked for the project is not public money, but rather a private posthumous donation from a prominent London family.

The affordable housing project is part of the second phase of Back to the River and it seems it's one of the few pieces Powell and Lewis agree.

"That piece I see some potential value in," he said.