Expanding Our Campus

GREENWOOD will soon be even more GREEN!

The Greenspace Project at Greenwood is well underway! It is being made possible with the help of donors who have come forward to support this next phase of Greenwood’s growth. There are still exciting opportunities to support this high-quality field and outdoor space. 

 

2022 Purchased commercial properties on Mount Pleasant

2022 Purchased homes on Balliol

Fall 2023 Commercial Demo Permit Obtained

Winter 2023 Demolition of commercial properties

Fall 2024 Residential Demo Permits Obtained

Fall 2024 Residential Demos Completed

Winter 2024 Shoring Permit Obtained

The demolition of the commercial properties on Mount Pleasant and residential properties on Balliol is now complete. Shoring and abatement work are scheduled to begin January 6, 2025, and will take approximately four months to complete. It will then move into the development of the field and structures, once those permits are received.

A 44.3-metre by 27-metre artificial turf field is set to be the main feature of the space. The field will be surrounded by social and collaborative spaces, like a gathering garden, benches, trees, a turf-mound seating area and a pergola. A shed for storing equipment will be installed as well as a single-stall portable washroom. More than a dozen new trees of various sizes will be planted to re-green the area, and garden elements will be designed and installed to incorporate local plants. 

Yes. The Greenspace will be supervised at break and lunchtime so that students can safely access it. It is being designed as a seamless extension of Greenwood’s campus.

The architect is Enda McDonaugh of Montgomery Sisam. Both Enda and the Montgomery Sisam firm have been involved with Greenwood for many years, including during the building expansion, which opened in 2016.

The turf is set to be the X-Gen Turf Roll System, a synthetic turf that does not require rubber infill, from Nexxfield.

The high-performance, one-inch, Canadian-made turf product is mixed with sand for excellent drainage ability (in rain and snow), which will enable us to use the field throughout the year. It has a built-in nylon thatch that eliminates the need for rubber infill. It can be combined with a shock pad for ultimate performance. 

“X-Gen products are based on human factors aimed at optimizing impact absorption, from running to major ground impact such as tackles—all without interfering with energy restitution during normal running and sprinting.” –Nexxfield

This system is the official product for the National Lacrosse League, Arena Football League, Reebok Crossfit Games, and has been used as a portable system for Major League Baseball (London Series). It has been installed at numerous universities and independent schools.

The planning, demolition and construction to completion will be approximately $10-11 million. The school is committed to this project and is also delighted to welcome donors who have and will help support the project. There are many exciting naming opportunities available to donors to recognize their contributions.

We appreciate the frustration. The schedule has largely been a function of obtaining municipal Re-zoning and Site Plan Approval permits. Through the pandemic, backlogs understandably began, and every phase of the project has now taken much longer than expected. Each phase requires permits that must be obtained in sequential order.

Phase 1*: Purchase of the commercial properties and houses

Phase 2*: Site review

Phase 3*: Architectural planning and zoning review

Phase 4*: Demolition permits and demolition of buildings (commercial and residential)

Phase 5: Shoring permits* and shoring/abatement, and Site Plan Approval

Phase 6: Construction (Build shed, lighting, fencing, mound) 

Phase 7: Turf installation

Phase 8: Hard-surfacing

Phase 9: Installation of Pergola, Garden and Trees

Phase 10: Final touches and opening!

We are excited to find opportunities for alumni to use the Greenspace once it is developed. Many have already shared their ideas for potential use of the Greenspace for Greenwood alumni community events. Stay tuned!

Can the neighbouring public access the space?
As a start, the Greenspace will be fenced and gated to the public so that we can assess the volume of student and team use, estimate the impacts of daily use of the space, and ensure the safety of our students and staff. Once up and running, we will look at opportunities and ways to open the space to our neighbours (for example, the potential for rentals). Stay tuned!

When considering the new space and how best to use it, our recreation space development committee reached out to other schools with outdoor ice surfaces. While an ice rink was explored in some initial discussions, unfortunately, the feedback we received from our peer schools is that the climate over the past few years has really limited the usability of their outdoor rinks. Between switching over the turf to the ice surface (a process that can take several weeks) and then waiting for the weather to be cold enough to adequately support the cooling of the surface, and then switching back to turf before the spring, it leaves just a few weeks of the year to actually enjoy the ice. It was thus decided that it would be more advantageous for students to have a turf surface they can access throughout the winter too.

This will be a greenspace for the foreseeable future. While school expansion is not in any immediate plans, it is possible the space will be repurposed in the future. All donors who support the project and select naming opportunities will have these transferred to any future build that occurs on the field space.

Due to the overall footprint of the acquired land, the field will not be regulation size for athletics games. It will be used primarily for athletics team practices, health & physical education classes, and social time at breaks and lunchtime. We will continue to host outdoor athletics games at our partner locations. 

What practices will be held there?
All teams that benefit from outdoor field space may use the space for practices. These might include soccer, rugby, Ultimate Frisbee and more.

There are no plans at present to bubble the field as it would further constrain the size of the playing surface. With the milder weather conditions Toronto has experienced in recent years, we are expecting to use the space in some capacity year-round.

To date, a small group of donors have provided support under $1 million. We are extremely grateful to them and are excited to bring other donors into the Greenspace donor community. To learn more about giving to Greenwood and the greenspace, please contact Robin Fowler.

Yes! There are exciting donor naming opportunities. We would be delighted to speak with you to help you realize your philanthropic aims to assist the school with this wonderful project. Please contact Robin Fowler.