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Morning Brew: Bomb Scare Charges Dropped, Miller Replaces Bryant, Car-less Condo, Bay-Adelaide Tower Opens, Street Naming Controversy

Photo: untitled by k-beer, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

What's happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):

Charges have been dropped in the case that saw a large area of Scarborough evacuated on Monday after it was confirmed that the supposed 'bomb' was in fact an alternative fuel engine running on hydrogen. Although dangerous, a Crown Attorney found that 27-year-old Shaun Morris's experiment was not illegal. He was, however, taken to a nearby hospital for a mental assessment following his release.

With much talk about David Miller's decreased popularity and potential running mates in the next municipal election, the mayor is seeking to demonstrate his leadership abilities by taking over as CEO of Invest Toronto, a position held by Michael Bryant prior to his being charged in connection with Darcy Allan Sheppard's death. Miller used the announcement of his interim position as an opportunity to show off his competitive spirit and to express confidence in his election prospects, though it's a long way off.

A 42-storey downtown condominium that features almost no permanent parking spots took a step forward when the Toronto-East York Community Council overruled objections to the project from city staff worried about this missing feature. Set to be built on the former site of the Royal Canadian Military Institute building, the impetus for the no parking experiment is the challenges that the narrow lot poses for the construction of an underground garage. Plans indicate it will have nine car-share spots and accommodation for over three hundred bicycles.

Marking the first opening of a major office tower in the downtown core in roughly two decades, the Bay-Adelaide Centre is set for its ribbon-cutting ceremony today. The 51-storey tower will soon be followed by two more significant openings on October 1st. in the form of the RBC centre (43-storeys) and the Telus Tower (30-storeys). All three buildings adhere to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, with the RBC Centre and Telus Tower notably using water from Lake Ontario for their cooling systems instead of traditional air conditioning.

Emery Village, a neighbourhood in Etobicoke, is experiencing a controversy over its BIA's desire proposal to name streets after living people. Toronto's policy for such matters dictates that except under rare circumstances street names should only be accorded to those no longer among the living. Although some community members objects, the Etobicoke-York Community Council voted overwhelmingly in favour of the proposal, which also includes a street named after a founder of the Emery Village BIA. The proposal does, however, require approval from city council because of its departure from policy.


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