The Somali Centre for Culture and Recreation

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The decision

2024-04-17 · Toronto City Council · adopted

As filed

City Council on April 17 and 18, 2024, adopted the following: 1. City Council request both the Provincial and Federal Governments to provide financial support for this project in the form of capital funding. 2. City Council direct Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO and other necessary staff as appropriate, to negotiate a contractual agreement

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with the Somali Centre for Culture and Recreation that satisfies Federal and Provincial funding requirements, subject to, the necessary due diligence including site identification and due diligence, funding strategy, development plan, operations plan, and any other milestones to be identified by the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management and to report back to City Council in June 2024 prior to entering into any lease agreement with an update on the status of the negotiations and the due diligence. 3. City Council request the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth to work with CreateTO and the Somali Centre, as part of their exploration of viable sites and funding sources for a community centre, identify potential sites, and development and funding partners, to develop affordable housing in the northwest corner of the City. 4. City Council authorize the public release of Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (February 2, 2024) from the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO following the closing of any transaction and at the discretion of the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO. Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (February 2, 2024) from the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO remains confidential at this time in accordance with the provisions of the City of Toronto Act, 2006, as it pertains to a proposed or pending acquisition or sale of land by the City of Toronto. Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (February 2, 2024) from the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO will be made public following the closing of any transaction and at the discretion of the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO.

The vote

Adopt Item · Carried, 22-1

Against (1)Stephen Holyday

Absent (3)Dianne Saxe, Jaye Robinson, Jennifer McKelvie

The whole record, all 26 members

Every name opens that member’s record.

On the agenda

As the city filed it

At its meeting on February 16, 2024, the Board of Directors of CreateTO considered Item RA9.6 and made recommendations to City Council. Summary from the report (February 2, 2024) from the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO: The Somali Centre for Culture and Recreation ("Somali Centre") is a registered non-profit organization led by a group of Somali Canadian young professionals from across Ontario aiming to create a dedicated cultural recreation and community space for the Somali population in Toronto.

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According to the organization, there has been a 40-year effort from the Somali community to develop a culture and recreation centre in Toronto to address the needs of this under-served community. Beginning in the 1970s, the community began working with local leaders and politicians to advocate for this type of facility. The main goal of this centre is to create a "…central space for the Somali community to gather and receive culturally appropriate community services from non-profit service providers and agencies." After decades of advocacy, Toronto City Council adopted a motion in July 2022 to direct City of Toronto and CreateTO staff to work with the Somali Centre on a feasibility study to identify potential sites for this facility. This report provides an outline of the collaborative process undertaken by CreateTO, the City of Toronto, and the Somali Centre and provides a staff review of their feasibility study. Next steps will include a continued effort to work together and to understand the operating model and long-term financial feasibility of the Somali Centre.

Staff recommended

The Board of Directors of CreateTO recommends that: 1. City Council consider a request to both the Provincial and Federal governments to provide financial support for this project in the form of capital and long-term operating funding. 2. City Council request the City Manager to provide the Somali Centre for Culture and Recreation a non-binding letter of intent, to give assurance to the provincial and federal governments of the City's intention to negotiate a long term lease with the Somali centre once an appropriate city site has been selected, conditional upon receiving the provincial and federal government funding.

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The letter would also stipulate that the municipal support through a long term land lease would be based on the Provincial and Federal Governments providing financial support for this project in the form of capital and long term operating funding. 3. City Council request the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth to work with CreateTO and the Somali Centre, as part of their exploration of viable sites and funding sources for a community centre, identify potential sites, and development and funding partners, to develop affordable housing in the northwest corner of the City. 4. City Council authorize the public release of Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (February 2, 2024) from the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO following the closing of any transaction and at the discretion of the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO.

Considered

2024-04-09 · Executive Committee · amended
Decision as filed
The Executive Committee recommends that: 1. City Council request both the Provincial and Federal Governments to provide financial support for this project in the form of capital funding. 2. City Council direct Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO and other necessary staff as appropriate, to negotiate a contractual agreement with the Somali Centre
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for Culture and Recreation that satisfies Federal and Provincial funding requirements, subject to, the necessary due diligence including site identification and due diligence, funding strategy, development plan, operations plan, and any other milestones to be identified by the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management and to report back to City Council in June 2024 prior to entering into any lease agreement with an update on the status of the negotiations and the due diligence. 3. City Council request the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth to work with CreateTO and the Somali Centre, as part of their exploration of viable sites and funding sources for a community centre, identify potential sites, and development and funding partners, to develop affordable housing in the northwest corner of the City. 4. City Council authorize the public release of Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (February 2, 2024) from the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO following the closing of any transaction and at the discretion of the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO.
Clerk’s note
The Executive Committee directed the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO and other necessary staff as appropriate, to report to the April 17, 2024 meeting of City Council with an overview of the milestones required to be achieved in the negotiation of a contractual agreement that satisfies Federal and Provincial funding requirements in support of this project.
2024-04-17 · Toronto City Council · adopted

On the record

The item as the City filed it

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