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Sign at student rez causes street jitters

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Plagued by safety concerns, contractor difficulties and complaints over its gigantic cantilevered sign sticking out over Harbord Street, the hotly debated University of Toronto Graduate House (631 Spadina) is now being called downright dangerous.

“Concerns raised by residents range from “What if somebody jumps from [the cornice]?’ to “What if somebody goes up there for a prank during a demonstration and falls?'” says Curt Oliver, president of the Harbord Residents Association.

Oliver, who calls the building “an out-of-scale imposition on the streetscape,” also believes the sign “may constitute a hazard for drivers and for (pedestrian) traffic, as a distraction.”

But U of T spokesperson Janet Wong finds Oliver’s concerns unfounded.

“That entire cornice is very difficult to get into. It’s locked off,” she says.

Oliver says concerns over suicide attempts and accidents began to surface late last year, while the building was still under construction and an anti-sweatshop banner was hung atop the building by protestors.

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