Authority to Enter into a Design Services Funding Agreement with Toronto Community Housing Corporation and to transfer funds for the design of St. James Town Open Space, Public Realm and Ontario Street South

The key project that is the subject of this motion are improvements to the Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) Open Space and public realm and improvements to Ontario Street South. This motion seeks authority for the City to enter into a Design Services Funding Agreement with TCHC, and authority to transfer up to $0.515 million from the 2020 Council Approved Capital Budget and 2021-2029 Capital Plan for Parks, Forestry and Recreation to TCHC for the design of TCHC-owned open space, public realm and Ontario Street in St. James Town. Proposed Project The subject land is owned by TCHC and comprises a large open space, Ontario Street, and the public realm surrounding the TCHC buildings located at 275 Bleeker Street and 200 Wellesley Street East. See Attachment A. The open space will become a City park (limits yet to be defined) under a lease agreement with TCHC on terms and conditions to be negotiated by the parties. Transportation Services will be involved in designing Ontario Street with consideration for the St. James Town Connects vision to extend the street northward to Howard Street. Both the open space and Ontario Street are to be operated and maintained by the City of Toronto. The majority of the TCHC-owned open space is encumbered as it is located over an underground garage. Garage renovations are scheduled for 2021-2022. Thereafter, the open space, Ontario Street and the public realm surrounding the TCHC buildings will be re-constructed between 2023-2025. Following construction, the City will enter into a lease agreement with TCHC for the open space and Ontario Street. The concept for the future park and improved public realm was included in the St. James Town Connects report and includes a natural playspace and water play area, an open stage, a barbeque area, large open lawn, games room, community gardens and a market area. See Attachment A. The City and TCHC are partnering to design and construct the future park and public realm. TCHC has issued a Request for Design Consultant Proposal for the subject land. The contract will be with TCHC but the City (Parks, Forestry and Recreation and Transportation Services) and TCHC will collaborate as partners on the project management, design, and construction of the project. The St. James Town neighbourhood is one of the densest areas in the City of Toronto, but aside from 2 parkettes (one existing and one under construction), there is very little public parkland. There are also many equity-seeking groups who live in the area, including children, seniors, low-income residents, single family households, and many recent immigrants. The opportunity to secure a large public park directly within the community is unprecedented. Reuse of this open space asset as a park will offer this high density, high needs community much needed park and public open space. City-TCHC Funding Agreement The 2020 Council Approved Capital Budget and 2021-2029 Capital Plan for Parks, Forestry and Recreation include a project cost of $5.130 million for the St. James Town Open Space in the Park Development project, with approved cash flow of $0.515 million in 2021 for design and future planned cash flow of $0.615 million in 2022 and $4.0 million in 2023 for construction. The City's funding is from the Section 37 community benefits received from 6 - 16 Glen Road, 4 - 100 Howard Street, and 603 - 611 Sherbourne Street (source account: XR3026-3701030). TCHC's budget for the above base components of the project is $1.22 million. The City's funds are required at present because the Request for Design Consultant Proposal has been issued by TCHC and the project will begin as soon as a consultant is hired. This Motion seeks authority for the City to enter into a Design Services Funding Agreement with TCHC and authority to transfer up to $0.515 million from the 2020 Council Approved Capital Budget and 2021-2029 Capital Plan for Parks, Forestry and Recreation to TCHC for project design costs. The transfer of funds will be contingent upon TCHC and the City agreeing to the major terms of a lease agreement which will be appended to the Design Services Funding Agreement. These major terms will not constitute the lease itself but will include, for example, major terms such as the length of the lease, maintenance, insurance and repairs, and other conditions acceptable and appropriate to the City and TCHC. In 2-3 years, the City will seek authority to enter into a Construction Services Funding Agreement with TCHC to transfer funds to TCHC for project construction costs. The lease agreement will be developed in conjunction with the Construction Services Funding Agreement. Operating impacts of Capital will be submitted for consideration during future year budget processes when the future parkland nears completion.

land at 200 Wellesley Street East and 275 Bleecker Street on terms and conditions acceptable to the General Managers of Parks, Forestry and Recreation and Transportation Services, in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor, and in accordance with City policies applicable to capital projects, including compliance with the City's fair wage policy and other procurement policies, as well as the City's Labour Trades Contractual Obligations in the Construction Industry. 2. City Council authorize the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation to transfer up to $0.515 million from Parks, Forestry and Recreation's 2020 Council Approved Capital Budget and 2021-2029 Capital Plan from the St. Jamestown Open Space Design (account CPR117-50-18) sub-project in the Park Development project, with funding from the Section 37 community benefits received from 6 - 16 Glen Road, 4 - 100 Howard Street, and 603 - 611 Sherbourne Street (source account: XR3026-3701030), subject to entering into a Design Services Funding Agreement with TCHC, to fund the City's cash portion for the design of above base park and public realm components of the subject land at 200 Wellesley Street East and 275 Bleecker Street.