Authorization to Release Section 37 Funds for Allan Gardens Master Plan and Expansion - by Councillor Chris Moise, seconded by Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik

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The decision

2026-05-20 · Toronto City Council · amended

As filed

City Council on May 20 and 21, 2026, adopted the following: 1. City Council amend the 2026-2035 Capital Budget and Plan for Parks and Recreation to create a project titled Allan Gardens Greenhouse Link with a cost and cash flow of $1,000,000 gross and $0 debt in 2026, fully funded by Section 37 community benefits obtained from 241 Church St (Source Account: XR3026-3701430), to be utilized for the implementation of the Council-approved Allan Gardens Master Plan, "Growing with the City".

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2. City Council authorize the General Manager, Parks and Recreation to allocate up to $100,000 of the funds described in Part 1 above to the Friends of Allan Gardens to support architectural, design and related work associated with the Greenhouse Link Building and other elements of the Allan Gardens Master Plan. 3. City Council authorize the General Manager, Parks and Recreation to enter into and execute a delivery agreement, satisfactory to the City Solicitor, with the Friends of Allan Gardens, to govern: a. the use of the funds; b. reporting, accountability and audit requirements; c. deliverables and timelines; and d. such other terms and conditions as deemed appropriate by the General Manager, Parks and Recreation. 4. City Council direct that any funding provided to the Friends of Allan Gardens be conditional upon the execution of the agreement described in Part 3 above. 5. City Council direct that the use of Section 37 community benefits be prominently recognized in documents and promotional materials, including on any construction hoarding, in consultation with the Ward Councillor, as a requirement of the agreement between the City and the Friends of Allan Gardens. 6. City Council direct the General Manager, Parks and Recreation to report back to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee with updated cost estimates, funding strategy and implementation timelines of the proposed Greenhouse Link Building and other elements of the Allan Gardens Master Plan once detailed design and cost information are available.

On the agenda

As the city filed it

This motion requests the authorization to release Section 37 funds to the Friends of Allan Gardens for architectural drawings for the Greenhouse Link Building as proposed in the " Growing with the City: An Ecosystem of Initiatives for Allan Gardens " master plan. Allan Gardens is one of Toronto's oldest and most beloved public green spaces, open to the public since 1860. It was here that the National Council of Women of Canada was founded in 1893, and here that Toronto's first mainland Pride march took place in 1974.

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As the crowning jewel of Toronto's downtown, Allan Gardens represents something rare in a growing city: a green commons that has endured, evolved, and remained open and accessible to all. The proposed Greenhouse Link Building would double the conservatory size from its current 16,000 square feet to over 32,000 square feet - one of the largest in North America, surpassing the 28,944 square feet of the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington D.C. As outlined in the Allan Gardens Refresh: A Vision Document for Allan Gardens (2017) and the Growing with the City: An Ecosystem of Initiatives for Allan Gardens (2023), new greenhouses and outdoor garden spaces will be added. A petition organized by the Friends of Allan Gardens has gathered more than 7,000 signatures across Canada - 2,000 of them in the first week alone. In addition to the proposed municipal contributions, private philanthropy, corporate partnerships, and federal investment has also been committed. Private funders have pledged $10 million toward the expansion. However, this is contingent on public financial commitments to the Friends of Allan Gardens. The Section 37 funds directed through this motion will be allocated to the Friends of Allan Gardens to commission architectural drawings for the Greenhouse Link Building. Further funding for Allan Gardens related to the expansion will be brought forward in a future motion.

Staff recommended

Councillor Chris Moise, seconded by Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik, recommends that: 1. City Council increase the 2026-2035 Capital Budget and Plan for Parks and Recreation by $100,000.00 gross, $0 debt, fully funded by Section 37 community benefits obtained from 203 Jarvis Street (Source Account: XR3026-3701111.), to be utilized for the implementation of the Council Approved Allan Gardens Master Plan, "Growing with the City".

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2. City Council direct that the $100,000.00 be forwarded to the Friends of Allan Gardens upon the signing of an Undertaking by the Friends of Allan Gardens to govern the use of the funds and the financial reporting requirements. 3. City Council direct that the use of Section 37 community benefits be prominently recognized in documents and promotional materials, including on any construction hoarding, in consultation with the Ward Councillor as a requirement within the Undertaking between the City and the Friends of Allan Gardens.

On the record

The item as the City filed it

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