As of November 28, 2008

 

 

LANSING UNITED CHURCH REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT

 

INFORMATION UPDATE

 

 

 

“Lansing United Church is a Community-Oriented, Welcoming, Christian Family”

 

 

LANSING HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

 

Lansing United Church has located in the Yonge Sheppard area since 1925 and has served the needs of the local Willowdale Community for over 80 years!

 

Lansing’s west building was completed in 1951 to serve the needs of a growing suburban neighbourhood.  In 1956, a Christian Education Wing was added on the east side of the building which included a gymnasium.

 

In the late 1970’s, the church undertook a comprehensive study of the church’s “Life and Work”, under the theme “Voyage of Discovery”. The mandate of this study confirmed that the church congregation wished to “serve people and make the church facilities available to do the same.”

 

Lansing United Church continues today with this same guiding principle confirmed in our mission statement.  “WE ARE A COMMUNITY OF FAITH AND SERVICE COMMITTED TO GOD IN CHRIST. WE SEEK TO PROVIDE SPIRITUAL, EMOTIONAL AND TANGIBLE SUPPORT TO ONE ANOTHER, THE LANSING COMMUNITY AND THE WORLD”

 

 

LANSING FACILITIES NEED UPDATING

 

The facilities were designed and built in the 1950’s to service the needs at that time. The current buildings are in need of improvements and upgrades, both because of age, and the need to meet current and future requirements of the church and the neighbourhood community. Our current and future church and community program plans are limited by our building!!

 

IMPROVED FACILITIES FOR LANSING

 

Lansing would like to improve the facilities in the following critical areas:

 

  • Wheelchair Accessibility - including the building and all internal facilities
  • Elevator accessibility to all levels
  • Multi-functional rooms – for flexible requirements.
  • A multi-functional space that can be used for sanctuary and worship space plus varied other needs
  • An “environmentally-friendly” and “energy-efficient” building including air conditioning
  • A new, well equipped, modern daycare facility
  • “State-of-the-art” meeting facilities equipped with the latest audio/visual equipment technology.
  • A facility suitable for multi-congregational worship
  • A facility that will efficiently facilitate both existing and future church and social programs.

 

FUTURE VISION FOR LANSING FACILITIES

 

  • Modern state of the art, multi-congregational church building housing four congregations
  • Additional space suitable for a large children’s daycare facility to serve the needs of the area.
  • Improvements for the Lansing Food Bank and Lansing Nearly New Clothing Shop
  • Increased and efficient space for the many church user groups. Currently, there are over thirty different groups using more than 75% of the church space

 

EMERALD PARK DEVELOPMENT AND LANSING

 

Lansing is working with the city and the developer, of Emerald Park who is developing the block east of the existing church.   The proposal is for a “state-of-the -art” two building condominium development fronting on Yonge Street. The development will include retail and professional offices on the lower floors of the building plus a direct underground connection to the subway. The 30 and 39 storey condominium towers have a unique, distinctive and architecturally pleasing design.

 

Emerald Park is supporting Lansing’s initiative to construct an updated and improved facility to provide additional services to the neighbourhood.

 

The developer of Emerald Park is experienced and well-established.  They have demonstrated a responsible and supportive approach to Lansing and to the surrounding neighbourhood.

 

WHAT WILL THE EMERALD PARK DEVELOPMENT BRING TO LANSING AND THE NEIGHBOURHOOD?

 

  • Improvements to the surrounding roads of Beecroft and Poyntz to assist completion of the ring road systems. This would improve the area traffic flow.
  • An “architecturally pleasing” development on an empty site.
  • A direct building connection to the subway
  • Additional offsite parking for Lansing’s use
  • Improved retail services for the community on the “under-serviced” west side of Yonge St., including professional offices and a new grocery store.
  • An experienced developer that is supportive of the social needs of the community
  • An attractive, rebuilt, modern, church facility separating the new development and the Yonge Street corridor from the neighbourhood to the west and helping to provide much needed services to the local community.

 

WHY SHOULD WE SUPPORT THE EMERALD PARK DEVELOPMENT?

 

WHEN THIS DEVELOPMENT IS APPROVED FOR CONSTRUCTION, FUNDING WILL THEN BE PROVIDED TO LANSING, BY EMERALD PARK, TO COMPLETE THE REBUILDING OF OUR CHURCH FACILITIES.

THIS FUNDING WILL PROVIDE THE MANY BENEFITS LISTED TO LANSING UNITED CHURCH, ALL CHURCH USER GROUPS, AND THE NEIGHBOURHOOD.

 

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Lansing United Church provides facilities for the following community groups:

 

AA Annual Information Day

AA Sober and Living It

AA The Lansing Group

Alanon Thursday Night Group

Boy Scouts of Canada

Canadian Blood Services' Clinics

Centennial Japanese United Church

Community Badminton Group

Community Business Groups

Condo Corporations' AGMs

Edith Allen Quilters

Elections Toronto/Ontario/Canada

Emotions Anonymous

Fitness Classes

Girl Guides of Canada

Language Classes for New Canadians

Lansing Food Bank

Lansing Ladies' Units

Lansing Men's Group

Lansing Nearly New Shop

Metro Animal Loss Support Group

Metropolitan Baptist Church

Northview Montessori school

Petit Ballet Dance School

Royal College of Music

Scouts Canada Krazy Kar Ralley

Toronto Don Valley Presbytery

Toronto Early Music Players

Toronto-Japanese United Church

UTE Annual Christmas Party

Yonge Street Players