CityPlace Puente del Luz pedestrian bridge set to open Oct. 26

A long-awaited pedestrian connection over the downtown railway lands linking the massive CityPlace condo development to Front Street West is set to open later this month.

The Puente de Luz, or Bridge of Light, will be officially opened to pedestrians and cyclists during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 26.

The bright yellow structure, which features a bold design by Chilean sculptor Francisco Gazitua, is a “key connection” for the area, Sarah Phipps, a senior planner for the city, told CityNews.

Many people who live in the CityPlace condos walk to work, but have to cut over and up either Spadina Avenue or Bathurst Street to get into the downtown core. The five-metre-wide, 125-metre-long footbridge will make that trip a lot shorter, and more pleasant.

Phipps said the bridge will also prove to be a big convenience for people in the ever-growing King Street West area who want to take advantage of the 3.2 hectare Douglas Coupland-designed Canoe Landing Park in CityPlace and have faster and less-congested access to the waterfront.

“We see it as a real key connection for pedestrians and cyclists,” Phipps said.

Concord Adex funded the bridge, but the project received some cash from the city’s public art program to ensure it had a unique design. Gazitua is behind some other pieces of public art in the highrise neighbourhood.

When Concord purchased the former CN Rail land in the 1990s, it was obligated to build parks, art and infrastructure, including Canoe Landing Park.

Concord has launched a public art photography contest called Through Your Lens. Participants can submit a photograph of their favourite piece of art on the ArtSpace Facebook page. A panel of judges will then help determine the winner.

The grand prize is an all-expenses paid trip to Chicago to check out the public art in the Windy City. ROM and AGO memberships are also up for grabs.

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