The horrible cave-like entrance is so bad and scary. I'm not sure what the new one will be like, but it's got to be better than what's there now.
That sucks that your partner is so boxed in during the winter by sidewalk conditions. What are your favorite, accessible places in the city? I love the Hazelwood Green for walks because the sidewalks are so new that most of them are still smooth and the whole place feels like a perfect urban park (even though it's technically privately owned).