A Toronto man built a set of stairs in his local park for the reasonable price of $550, after the city said the project would cost anywhere from $65,000 to $150,000, according to a Wednesday report from CTV News.
When Adi Astl heard the government’s estimate for what was supposed to be a rudimentary initiative, he was confused and surprised.
“I thought they were talking about an escalator,” Astl told CTV News.
Astl, a retired mechanic, says his neighbors helped pitch in for the modest construction. He also reportedly hired a homeless person to assist in the building of the eight steps.
But, despite the fact that the community really appreciates Astl’s work and have already put it to good use, city officials taped off the stairs while they determine their next course of action.
“We just can’t have people decide to go out to Home Depot and build a staircase in a park because that’s what they would like to have,” Toronto Mayor John Tory said, according to CTV News, also admitting it probably wouldn’t have cost as much as some authorities first noted.
Astl says he did it to ensure the safety of people who enjoy visiting the park. “If the city is not willing to do it, I have to do it myself,” Astl reportedly said. (RELATED: Man Fined $1,000 For Collecting Water At National Park)
Tory, though, says there already are paths for people who don’t want to traverse down the hill, which sort of serves as a detour to the garden portion.
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