Sidewalk Labs' Quayside project is still in the consultation stage, but already Alphabet is asking for more.
According to leaked documents reported by the Star, the original project is only a small portion of the full plan. New documents indicate the full project will cover a larger portion of the Port Lands. It will also feature a light rail system and Quayside neighbourhoods. Google Canada's headquarters also appear on the documents situated on Villiers Island.
READ: Sidewalk Labs Reveals Latest Plans For ‘City Of The Future’ In Toronto
The documents also reveal Sidewalk Labs is asking the city for a portion of property taxes and development fees to fund the project.
The company plans to argue they are “entitled to … a share in the uptick in land value on the entire geography ... a share of developer charges and incremental tax revenue on all land.”
READ: Setting The Record Straight On Google’s Toronto ‘Smart City’ Project And Privacy Issues
If granted, Sidewalk Labs would stand to gain $6 billion in revenue over the next 30 years. The money would otherwise go to the city.
When asked about the request, Sidewalk Labs CEO Dan Doctoroff told the Star, “we’re going to be spending a lot of money in advancing the infrastructure... we only want to get paid back a reasonable return for our investment in that infrastructure.”
READ: 3 Waterfront Toronto Board Members Fired Over Quayside Project
The Quayside Project has been marred in controversy since late last year when a series of consultants and board members resigned from the project citing concerns with how personal data would be collected and used in the smart city.
Sidewalk Labs has since stated they will not own nor control the data collected in the city.
