Community groups call for update on how much Gardiner Expressway rebuild costs

A coalition of 40 community groups are calling on the city to release an “up-to-date assessment” of the costs associated with a controversial rebuild of the eastern portion of the Gardiner Expressway.

The coalition is calling itself “Gardiner East Transparency” and is made up of a number of residents associations, environmental groups and other stakeholders.

In a joint letter released on Monday, the coalition said that residents have “a right to know” the updated construction costs of the Gardiner rebuild, as well as “lost revenues” that could result from the 2016 decision to rebuild a 1.7 kilometre portion of the expressway rather than tearing it down and unlocking a large portion of waterfront real estate.

The release of the letter comes ahead of a meeting of the city’s infrastructure and environment committee where staff will share updated figures on how much has been spent on the project so far.

“The Gardiner thwarts action on a long list of desperately needed programs to build an equitable, healthy, climate-friendly city,” organizer Albert Koehl says in the letter. “The least city hall can do is to provide a full report on the updated costs and lost revenues of the Gardiner East before signing any more contracts.”

City staff have said that $500 million in contracts have already been awarded for the Gardiner East project, with construction set to begin in 2026.

Staff say that an additional $650 million in contracts will also be included in the 2023 to 2032 Transportation Services capital plan but have not been awarded yet.

In its letter, the coalition warns that the “full go-forward costs and the foregone revenues “associated with the project could surpass $1 billion, even with sunk costs.

That estimate includes $450 million in revenue that it says the city could realize by freeing up an additional 5.4 acres in prime waterfront real estate.

But during a press conference at city hall on Monday Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie cast doubt on the group’s claims that there are savings to be realized.

She said that staff have previously informed her that reopening the debate now “doesn’t have the potential to save money or save time” and would require that the city undertake another costly environmental assessment “with no guarantee of any outcome around that.”

“This was a decision that was made seven years ago by council. It is important that we move forward with this project. This is a 60-year-old piece of crumbling infrastructure in a state of poor repair. We need to move on with those repairs. We also have considerable sunk costs and investments that have been made so it is important that we continue forward,” she said.

Former Mayor John Tory was a staunch supporter of the Gardiner East project, however some members of council have continuously opposed the project, including Josh Matlow.

Urbanist Gil Penalosa also made cancelling the costly rebuild a key plank in his mayoral campaign last year.