Keesmaat unveils plan to tear down part of Gardiner Expressway for 'grand boulevard'

Toronto mayoral candidate Jennifer Keesmaathas unveiled a plan totear down the eastern part of the Gardiner Expressway and replace it with she calls a"grand boulevard."

"We can build new communities with new jobs in retail andemployment and affordable housing places for people to live by unlocking this land," Keesmaat said at a newsconference on Sunday.

"This is really about creating a livable city. It's about creating a sustainable city. It's about creating a green city, and it is about moving Toronto into the 21st century."

Keesmaat saidherplan would cost$500 million less than a project championed by Mayor John Tory and approved by council in 2015. Thatproject would seeportion of theGardinertorndown and then rebuilt.

"This kind of a structure is really a relic of the past," Keesmaat told reporters. "Forward-looking cities are tearing down their elevated expressways and instead creating new communities and newplaces."

Keesmaatadded that the money saved would be reinvested into transit.

"We know that we can't be adding more cars into to the downtown. There's not enough room on the streets to be doing that," she said.

"We know that we can add more people and more pedestrians if we build better transit that really makes transit a true choice in every corner of the city."

Keesmaat has already spoken out against the Gardiner, calling a council decision for themulti-billion dollar rebuild"frivolous spending" in January.

Tory criticizesKeesmaat'splan

In response toKeesmaat's announcement, Mayor John Tory said her plan would dump thousands of vehicles including large trucksinto downtown neighbourhoods and would pose a risk to the environment and public safety.

Tory said the current hybrid Gardiner plan was previously endorsedbyKeesmaaton Twitter.

The mayor said it's better to look forward instead of revisiting the decision.

"I don't think people have any time for that kind of flip-flopping," he said. "The risk of what she's putting forward on the flip-flop is something that will be very damaging to neighbourhoods in the downtown part of the city."

Keesmaat'steam toldCBCToronto that she has been consistent that tearing down theGardineris in the best interest in the city.

"Once debate was done and council voted Jennifer frequently tweeted support for the work of her team," director of media relations for theKeesmaatcampaignBethClarksonsaid in an email.

"She was obligated to work with the will of the previous council and because of John Tory's weak leadership as Mayor, she is in this race to win and to make changes to the city that are in the best interest of all."

In a news release on Sunday, Tory said Keesmaat's plan was a "risky and costly move that will further delay the redevelopment of the entire area."

He added that the city awarded a$313 million contract in June to "rehabilitate" the Gardiner and its connection to the Don Valley Parkway, and he questioned how much it would cost to cancel that contract to enact her plan.

Council narrowly approved building a "hybrid" version of the elevated expressway one championed byTory in 2015. That option was more expensive than bringing the highway down to ground level, and could cost some $2.3 billion.

Tory previouslydefendedthe decision, saying council's choice was made in "best interest of the city." Earlier this year, the mayorgave no indication that the city would reconsiderthe plan.

In2016, city councilapproved aredevelopment plan for the eastern portion of the Gardiner Expressway by a vote of 36-5, the most expensive one of the choices available.