Lansdowne plan plows ahead despite delay

It seems the city's legal department is getting a bit anxious about the time the Ontario Court of Appeal is taking to render its decision in the Lansdowne case. In a report going to the city's Finance and Economic Development Committee next week, city staff write:

"The timing of the Ontario Court of Appeal decision is unknown although an order was obtained on 19 September 2011, which provided that the appeal be expedited. On 30 March 2012, legal counsel for the City wrote to the Senior Legal Officer of the Court asking when a decision might be expected. No answer has been provided."

In the mean time, staff are recommending the city proceed with some tasks anyway, "to reduce adverse schedule impacts and to contain costs that might otherwise be caused by this delay." Those include moving the Horticulture Building, excavation and remediation of contaminated soil, and demolition of the Coliseum Building. Some of the work is included in the current OSEG tender, while other items are not. The total cost of these projects is $14-million, and that's all before the court rules.