Authorization to enter into short-term licences for temporary arts and culture uses at 32 Lisgar Street - by Councillor Ana Bailão, seconded by Councillor Paula Fletcher

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The decision

2022-06-15 · Toronto City Council · adopted

As filed

City Council on June 15 and 16, 2022, adopted the following: 1. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management to enter into and execute, on behalf of the City, short-term licences with not for profit arts and culture organizations, artists, and/or artist collectives for use of 32 Lisgar Street for arts and culture programming on such terms as may be satisfactory to the General Manager,

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Economic Development and Culture and the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, and in a form acceptable to the City Solicitor.

On the agenda

As the city filed it

The City of Toronto has a history of providing community space to not-for-profit corporations at below-market rent rates. The tenants of such spaces are important partners for the City of Toronto to achieve its strategic directions and objectives, however the arts and culture sector is facing significant challenges to accessing affordable space to ensure that Toronto's cultural scene can continue to flourish. The cultural space at 32 Lisgar Street (the Property) was negotiated through Section 37 benefits for the benefit of the local residential community and Toronto's media arts sector for the purposes of providing a first-class venue for the development and enjoyment of media arts and associated creative digital cultural uses.

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The Property comprises of approximately 30,284 square feet (2,813 square metres) of space and is located in the West Queen West neighbourhood. The City of Toronto will maintain the direction of the original Section 37 agreement to identify a media arts organization that can successfully operate the Property. Economic Development and Culture will be issuing a Request for Expressions of Interest to identify a long term tenant for the Property. The Request for Expressions of Interest will be issued in spring 2022 with the intention of confirming a tenant by the end of the year. While that process is underway, this Motion requests authority for Corporate Real Estate Management to issue licences for short term temporary uses of the Property for non-profit arts and culture organizations, artists and/or artist collectives and to animate the Property prior to a long-term tenant is determined, with temporary uses such as programming, workshop, office and studio spaces. Licences would be issued for a nominal fee to ensure accessibility for non-profit organizations while also covering the Property's operating costs, where possible.

Staff recommended

Councillor Ana Bailão, seconded by Councillor Paula Fletcher, recommends that: 1. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management to enter into and execute, on behalf of the City, short-term licences with not for profit arts and culture organizations, artists, and/or artist collectives for use of 32 Lisgar Street for arts and culture programming on such terms as may be satisfactory

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to the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture and the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, and in a form acceptable to the City Solicitor.

On the record

The item as the City filed it

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