A couple of gas stations, a shopping mall and an apartment tower dominate the main intersection of the Jane-Finch community.

And now, to the dismay of many area residents, this area will soon be getting a hulking industrial garage to maintain and store up to 75 light-rail vehicles for the future Finch West LRT.

“Another eyesore just plunked in our midst, with no local input,” said area resident Wanda MacNevin.

“It speaks volumes about how government views us,” said MacNevin, director of community programs at the Jane-Finch Community and Family Centre.

The maintenance and storage facility will occupy about eight hectares on Finch Ave. between York Gate Blvd. and Norfinch Dr., just west of Jane St.

It will serve the 11-kilometre surface transit line between Humber College and Keele St. planned by Metrolinx, the province’s Toronto-area transportation agency. The project is slated to begin construction in 2017.

A community benefits agreement is being negotiated with Metrolinx to ensure that the $1.2-billion LRT project offers employment, training, apprenticeship and local procurement opportunities for area residents and businesses.

But the community wants more than just jobs on the storage site. Residents want the Finch Ave. frontage to include space for local businesses and social entrepreneurs. And at one of the corners, they would like to see a building for community use.

“Why can’t Jane-Finch have something like the Daniels Spectrum?” said MacNevin, referring to the 60,000-square-foot community cultural hub in Regent Park built by area developer The Daniels Corporation.

The Community Action Planning Group – York West (CPAG), created several years ago to ensure local input on Jane-Finch development, has been meeting with Metrolinx, city officials and area politicians for more than a year to press the case.

“We get lots of pats on the head and are told to keep up the good work. But nothing ever seems to happen,” said CPAG co-chair Richard De Gaetano about the community’s meetings with local politicians. “These guys don’t work together. And individually, they don’t carry a lot of weight downtown.”

Ward 7 Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, whose York West ward covers the west end of the line, has decried the LRT plan from the start, arguing that Finch Ave. deserves a subway.

Ward 9, Councillor Maria Augimeri, whose York Centre ward doesn’t include the intersection but encompasses the southeast end of the community, has chosen to focus on other area issues.

And Councillor Anthony Perruzza (Ward 8, York West), whose ward includes the storage facility site, says he has had no luck convincing Metrolinx to play ball.

Recently re-elected Liberal MP Judy Sgro (Humber River-Black Creek) says the federal government’s new commitment to equity and infrastructure “opens up a huge door for us.”

“We could work with (the community) to get some space to establish an economic hub,” she said. “They want jobs. They want an opportunity to achieve their dreams, just like everybody else.”

Area MPP Mario Sergio also talks positively about the opportunity. But he says the city and local councillors have to come up with a solid proposal.

“Without any ideas, I have nothing to present to the provincial government,” he said.

Metrolinx says it is prepared to ask potential building partners to submit proposals for the storage facility that “minimize the footprint” and leave space along Finch Ave. But beyond that, the agency has received no direction from the city to be more specific, said Jamie Robinson, Metrolinx director of community relations.

For the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, city council approved nine community principles to be included in the request for proposals for building the maintenance and storage facility for that line. The development consortium that won the job has included those in its plans, Robinson noted.

But council has not weighed in on the storage facility for Finch West. And time is running out, Robinson said.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Metrolinx expects to issue a request for proposals on the project in early 2016.

Finch West LRT maintenance and storage facility designs

Metrolinx "preferred conceptual design"

Entire site dedicated to industrial use

Two operations/maintenance buildings

Parking lot flanking part of Finch Ave.

Community design option

Operations and maintenance buildings stacked on one part of the site

Space for locally owned businesses or social enterprises along Finch Ave.

Generous sidewalks, large trees and street furniture on Finch Ave.

Community or mixed-use building at the corner of Finch Ave. and York Gate Blvd.

No street-view parking

Source: Metrolinx, Community Action Planning Group-York West

Read more about: