91原创

Located in the heart of downtown 91原创, Osgoode Hall dates from the 19th century and houses the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Superior Court of Justice, and the Law Society, which regulates the legal profession. The site includes a public park surrounded by an iron fence.

The Law Society was successful last weekend in getting an interim injunction to stop work at the site, persuading a Superior Court judge to wait for the outcome of the heritage expert report it filed in court this week.

The injunction is in place until midnight Friday unless extended by a judge. The parties are expected to return to court this week.

鈥淭here is no question, in my opinion, that the proposed use for the expropriated land will have a significant adverse heritage impact on the attributes located on the un-expropriated land,鈥� says the report by architect and heritage consultant Christopher Borgal.

鈥淚n my opinion, the entire site comprising Osgoode Hall, the landscaped areas, and the iron fence, are of a piece in their heritage importance. Slicing a corner from the site and placing an inappropriate transit pavilion there is, in my opinion, tantamount to drawing a cartoon in the corner of a painting done by a great master such as Turner or Constable.鈥�

Metrolinx has previously said that it has been engaging with communities for over two years and 鈥渃an鈥檛 afford to delay getting this much-needed project built.鈥�

The agency has pointed to an independent, third-party report by engineering firm Parsons Inc. released last week that said that Osgoode Hall 鈥渨ould appear to be the most suitable option鈥� for the station. Metrolinx declined to comment Wednesday, as the case remains before the courts.

Borgal argues that Parsons鈥� conclusions 鈥渉ave been based primarily on engineering issues,鈥� and did not go far enough in their consideration of cultural heritage issues.

鈥淚t is clear in the heritage discussion of the report that the analysis of heritage issues by Metrolinx is deficient and requires considerably more attention,鈥� he wrote.

Borgal, former president of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, says in an affidavit that he has consulted on over 2,500 heritage sites in 91原创, the United States and the Caribbean, with much of his work focused on the restoration of historical buildings. He has over 45 years of experience, and was the project conservation architect for several of the restoration projects on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

Borgal argues that not enough weight has been placed on heritage and historical preservation in planning for the site, and said that 鈥渁lternative development approaches have not been pursued in a fulsome manner.鈥�

He said the removal of the trees and the placement of the transit station will 鈥渄egrade the symbolic presence of the site within the city,鈥� and interfere with views to and from the site that have been in place for almost 200 years.

鈥淚n my opinion, Ontario risks 91原创 failing in its aspirations to become a great city if the current process is allowed to proceed without significant weight and attention placed on heritage issues, particularly regarding Osgoode Hall,鈥� Borgal wrote.

鈥淭he lack of adequate consideration for the importance of this heritage site will cause, in my opinion, permanent damage to one of the most historic sites in 91原创 that has been a symbol of justice in Ontario for almost 200 years.鈥�

He said that 鈥渁 considerable amount of additional design work must be completed that, although a compromise, will better meet the objectives of all parties to this issue.鈥�

Parsons analyzed the feasibility of placing the station at a number of different sites in the area of Queen Street West and University Avenue. It also found the idea of placing the station on the grounds of Campbell House, a historical site across the street that includes a community museum, 鈥渕ay benefit from further analysis as a potentially feasible alternate location.鈥�

Campbell House Museum said in a statement Wednesday that it continues to support a community proposal that would see the station placed outside Osgoode Hall鈥檚 iron fence and integrate it into an 鈥渆xpanded and enhanced pedestrian realm鈥� called Osgoode Plaza.

鈥淭he Plaza Solution is the only option that has the potential to minimize negative impacts to the Osgoode Hall property and improve the public realm at the landmark intersection,鈥� the museum said.