The total area stretches like a ribbon running west to east for 1.75 kilometres, starting at Strachan Avenue and ending at Spadina Avenue, in the city’s core. The new space will run underneath the expressway that runs parallel to the lakeshore and rises up to five-stories. Its dozens of concrete columns are providing a readymade rooftop with cathedral-height drama.

Under Gardiner has been in development for a while, but has not been made public until now. A substantial $25-million donation by Will and Judy Matthews has spurred on the project with ambitions to see it complete as early as 2017. The Matthews family has made other major philanthropic donations to the city in the past. This is their largest to date.

The amount will pay for the construction of a variety of environments, with phase one expected to begin construction next summer. Urban designer Ken Greenberg has provided the framework for the project, along with Marc Ryan and Adam Nicklin of the local landscape architecture firm Public Work.

Their plans show how the expressway’s underbelly will become an all-season sheltering rooftop covering a variety of green spaces and such amenities as an outdoor skating rink, off-leash dog parks, bike and pedestrian paths, an open-air theatre, a water garden, outdoor fitness areas, plus food markets and kiosks. Loblaws, the grocery store chain, is slated to open at the mid-point area (near Bathurst Street) where dozens of condoniums have gone up in recent years with few food options other than restaurants and convenience stores.

At this morning’s press conference, Judy Matthews explained why she and her family decided to back the project so generously. “Our city is exploding with condos, and with that there our struggles. In our fast-paced city, loneliness is a big problem. With a project like this, we can help alleviate that, and make a place with activities for all people.”

The planners estimate that 70,000 residents in the immediate area, mostly condo dwellers, will benefit from the plan with a much-needed backyard. But the projects, scale and visual impact, is expected to become an attraction for the entire city and visitors. It will also connect seven surrounding neighbourhoods by providing an artery between districts that now seem disconnected to one another. Completion of the project has been earmarked for July 2017, to open in time for Canada’s 150th anniversary celebrations.

Originally published on Azure.