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Although the plans did not show the designs of any buildings that would occupy the land, they boasted some outdoor amenities, including Whiskey Beach, a water’s edge promenade and Trinity Plaza — a large public square.

Perhaps most notable were the images of a brick promenade going underneath the multiple tracks of the rail corridor to link the Lower Don Lands and the Distillery. While impressive, that promenade would face a significant amount of scrutiny by Metrolinx, the government agency that runs GO trains along that corridor.

Vanessa Thomas, spokesperson for Metrolinx, said without the opportunity to look at what is being proposed on an in-depth and comprehensive level there is no way to comment on the proposal’s feasibility.

“We would need to ensure that there’s no impact to our train operation, as the Lakeshore East line is one of our busiest train lines,” Ms. Thomas said.

Home Depot owned the land, which was once home to hundreds of homeless living out of tents, but lost a major battle with the Ontario Municipal Board when it proposed building a super store on the site.

The land was sold in 2010 to three development companies: Cityzen Development Group, Castlepoint Realty Partners and Continental Ventures Realty. The venture marked the creation of the 3C Waterfront project.

Mr. Cormier agrees that the project is a highly complex plan, in its early stages of design, that would require a multitude of approvals. He fears that the premature release of the design will do more harm than good to the proposal.

“You’re not in someone’s backyard.”

He wants the public to forget the images, which can no longer be seen on his website, until all the necessary approvals have been made.

“I would appreciate [that] for the project and for every [person] involved.”

National Post