Bringing the St. Lawrence Market community, families, history buffs, music lovers and pets together, the official re-opening of Toronto’s Berczy Park was held on Wednesday, June 28, 2017. Neighbours celebrated the revitalization of the park, where improvements have been underway since 2015.
Concert invested a total of $3.8 million towards the reconstruction of the park and surrounding streetscape, and funded a study to ensure this cherished space meets the growing needs of the community.
In addition to a Gooderham Building mural and a plaza with granite mosaic paving, the focal point of this revitalization project was to replace the aging fountain. A nod to the on-leash pet area, the new, three-tiered fountain features 27 dog statues, two cats and two birds. Additionally, the City’s Economic Development and Culture Division commissioned a public art piece by Toronto artist Luis Jacob, called “Jacob’s Ladder”, which will be installed on the west side of the park in the fall.
“Our vision for the community is that people living in the area, working nearby or visiting the city can use Berczy Park together. Incorporating inviting, green spaces creates a sense of community in the neighbourhood,” said Brian McCauley, President and CEO of Concert. “The revitalization of Berczy Park has been a great success, as shown by the volume of people enjoying this public space.”
The park occupies a triangle of land between Wellington, Front and Scott streets, across from Concert’s 88 Scott and The Berczy developments. Before becoming a public park in 1980, this land had been vacant or used as a parking lot. The park is named after William Berczy, a German-born architect, surveyor and writer. He is considered a co-founder of modern Toronto along with John Graves Simcoe.