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Toronto man builds park stairs for $550, irking city after $65,000 estimate

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Deal Addict
Oct 2, 2013
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Montreal
Jerico wrote: But they didn't build the long term solution with all the bells and whistles the 65k version came with.
500$ and the stairs last what, 2-3 years ? Ok. 1 year.

In 100 years, we are at 50k$... Still less then 65k$.
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Mar 23, 2009
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Toronto
Jerico wrote: But they didn't build the long term solution with all the bells and whistles the 65k version came with.
Yes, it is a long term build. Concrete with railing, for $10000.

IIRC, Mayor Tory intervened, and all of a sudden the quote got a lot more reasonable.
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Jun 12, 2007
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London
$65k may have included some form of wheel chair access.
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Mar 12, 2008
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Toronto
SquadG wrote: 500$ and the stairs last what, 2-3 years ? Ok. 1 year.

In 100 years, we are at 50k$... Still less then 65k$.
you arnt considering the liability involved in a public stair case. $500 was material alone for a pretty shitty set of stairs with no foundation that would of shifted the first cold day.

Im also wondering how they even built it the way they did as it doesn't meet the accessibility act of Ontario for new public infrastructure.
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Mar 23, 2009
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l69norm wrote: $65k may have included some form of wheel chair access.
Possibly but...
redzone wrote: Im also wondering how they even built it the way they did as it doesn't meet the accessibility act of Ontario for new public infrastructure.
Isn't it already wheelchair accessible if you go the long way around? I haven't been there, but my understanding was that people used that spot simply because it was a shortcut.
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Sep 1, 2005
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Markham
Why can't the stairs be made with wood....it's not like there's a ton of foot traffic on it. The Beaches has a wooden boardwalk and I don't see them replacing it every couple of years. Don't people trip on the boardwalk?
We're all bozos on the bus until we find a way to express ourselves...

Failure is always an option...just not the preferred one!
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Oct 6, 2010
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Tory is awesome.
DIY difficulty scale:
0-joke
10-no joke
Deal Guru
Jan 25, 2007
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Paris
I think that the parks department built this for a "publicized" $10k or whatever but probably didn't report the full costs. Similar to when Ontario teachers had their 10 sick days lowered to 7... and then 3 "personal" days added bringing them back to 10 (but actually better off as now they have personal days).

$10k in material minus the trucking costs, railing they already had, labour etc etc etc. I am 99% sure there was some fudging of numbers all over this mess.

Also, my understanding is they did not build this to incoming code around accessibility which would have been a massive switchback style ramp which could have easily cost $80-100k as it would be at least 5 times larger. So in 2-5 years we will quietly see this staircase taken down and a new one for the massive number put in it's place.
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Mar 23, 2009
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Toronto
Jerico wrote: I think that the parks department built this for a "publicized" $10k or whatever but probably didn't report the full costs. Similar to when Ontario teachers had their 10 sick days lowered to 7... and then 3 "personal" days added bringing them back to 10 (but actually better off as now they have personal days).

$10k in material minus the trucking costs, railing they already had, labour etc etc etc. I am 99% sure there was some fudging of numbers all over this mess.

Also, my understanding is they did not build this to incoming code around accessibility which would have been a massive switchback style ramp which could have easily cost $80-100k as it would be at least 5 times larger. So in 2-5 years we will quietly see this staircase taken down and a new one for the massive number put in it's place.
Unlikely. AFAIK, the original plan was to do nothing.

Also, I would like to see the code you're talking about. If it is already wheelchair accessible through a different entrance, then I don't see why it would need it here too. Cuz if that's what the code requires, that would be massively expensive going forward, and IMO unreasonable.
Deal Guru
Jan 25, 2007
12695 posts
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Paris
EugW wrote: Unlikely. AFAIK, the original plan was to do nothing.

Also, I would like to see the code you're talking about. If it is already wheelchair accessible through a different entrance, then I don't see why it would need it here too. Cuz if that's what the code requires, that would be massively expensive going forward, and IMO unreasonable.
The Ontario accessibility act. It added about $250k to a pool rebuild in little old Paris, Ontario. As a business no matter how big or small it can affect you as well (some restaurants are in some deep trouble). Not actually code, but a law with some codes attached I presume.

I'm not sure on the specifics for how far away you can make folks in wheelchairs wheel, nor am I familiar with this specific spot but I am guessing that governments have less of an ability to plead poor than small business.

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