July 3, 1998

To:Corporate Services Committee

 From:Commissioner of Corporate Services

 Subject:City Centre Project Work Plan to Develop Proposals for a City Centre Complex at Toronto City Hall

 Purpose:

 To present a work plan to develop proposals for establishing a City Centre Complex anchored by Toronto City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square and potentially incorporating surrounding sites such as Old City Hall and the City owned lands to the north of Toronto City Hall.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications, and Impact Statement:

 Estimated funding in the amount of $50,000 is required to implement the communications program and public consultation process identified in this report and is available in the Facilities and Real Estate Division's Operating Budget. Corporate sponsors will be recruited to cover the major costs for the Ideas Workshop proposed in this report.

Recommendations:

 It is recommended that:

1. the work plan and initial schedule for the City Centre Project, as outlined in this report and shown on the chart attached in Appendix C, be adopted.

1. the Commissioner of Corporate Services submit a status report on the City Centre Project in December, 1998, including identifying possible items to be included in the 1999 Operating

and Capital Budgets.

Council Reference/Background/History:

 City Council, at its February 4, 5 and 6, 1998 meeting, decided to establish the seat of government for the new city at Toronto City Hall and undertake renovations to City Hall so that City Council can begin to operate there by the end of 1998. At the same time, City Council adopted a series of recommendations (see Appendix A for a consolidated list) concerning the development of a civic complex including City Hall.

 City Council, at its June 3 and 4, 1998 meeting, adopted a motion requesting that I report, as soon as possible, to City Council through the Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team, on plans for the new civic complex at City Hall. In my report to the Special Committee titled "Toronto City Hall Renovations - Reporting Structure for Phases 2 and 3" (June 25, 1998), I recommended that I report to the Corporate Services Committee on the City Centre Project (also known as Phase 3 of the City Hall renovations project) rather than the Special Committee, given that the mandate of the Special Committee (and its Relocation Sub-Committee) will conclude by the end of 1998 whereas the project will continue well into 1999. That report will be considered by the Special Committee at its July 17, 1998 meeting.

Discussion:

 This report discusses the objectives, proposed organizational framework and work plan for the City Centre Project, along with the communication program and the public consultation process to be undertaken.

1. PROJECT OBJECTIVES

 The objectives of the project are to:

 (a)provide City Council with proposals for the development of a City Centre Complex, including:

-the long term use of City Hall;

• the potential use of Old City Hall, including the feasibility of incorporating a Museum of Toronto;
• inclusion of the City owned land to the north of City Hall and possible inclusion of the Bell Building;
• design improvements to Nathan Phillips Square;
• improvements to Bay Street in terms of traffic activity, pedestrian environment and streetscape enhancements;
• creation of underground connections to the subway system;

(b)provide City Council with a financial analysis of the proposals for the City Centre Complex, including identifying options for funding;

(c)recommend what functions should be located in City Hall and other civic buildings.

(d)ensure effective communication and public participation programs that also include information about Phases 1 and 2 of the City Hall renovation project;

(e)create a new City Centre Complex for the new City that all Toronto residents can be proud of.

1. PROJECT ORGANIZATION

 Given the scope and complexity of the project, the diversity of stakeholders and broad public interest in the creation of the new City government, the project will require careful planning and coordination. Chart 1 in Appendix B illustrates the proposed organizational structure for the project.

 The project will come under the responsibility of the Commissioner of Corporate Services who will provide the Chief Administrative Officer with regular status reports on the project and will continue to report to the Corporate Services Committee as the project progresses. The Interim Functional Lead for Facilities and Real Estate will serve as the Project Executive and provide staff leadership for the project.

 A Design Advisory Committee, made up of representatives of Heritage Toronto and groups such as the Toronto Society of Architects, the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects and related professional organizations will advise the Project Executive on design issues related to the project.

 A Project Coordinator will coordinate the wide variety of project activities to be undertaken by staff from various City departments. A Project Staff Steering Committee composed of senior staff from Corporate Communications, Economic Development, Finance, Healthy City Office, Human Resources, Parks, City Planning and Urban Design, Facilities and Real Estate and Works, as well as the Amalgamation Office will meet regularly to coordinate the various work activities. Staff project teams will undertake a wide range of functions, including conducting the necessary technical studies, implementing the internal and external communications programs and undertaking the broad public consultation process planned for this project.

1. PROJECT WORK PLAN

 The work plan for the City Centre Project, composed of a series of interrelated activities or sub-projects, rather than by phases, is discussed below and summarized in the accompanying chart in Appendix C. A proposals report with recommendations on a concept plan for the City Centre Complex will be submitted to City Council in the Fall, allowing sufficient time to consider items to be included in the 1999 Capital Budget.

 Project 1 - Development of Design Options: to be coordinated by City Planning and Urban Design

(i)Collect information, such as the condition and future budgets for existing buildings and Nathan Phillips Square, past proposals for improvements to the Square, Bay Street tunnel examples, issues of various civic departments and ABC's, initial information from surrounding property owners as requested by Council; by end of August.

(ii)Review the needs and issues identified by the public during the public consultation process described below; by end of September.

(iii)Review results of the Ideas Workshop and the related public meeting to take place as discussed below; by mid-November.

(iv)Review corporate accommodation plans for City Hall and other civic centres, including public uses on the main floor of City Hall; by beginning of October.

(v)Develop planning and design options for the City Centre Complex, including surrounding sites, Bay Street tunnel(s) and underground subway connections; by end of November.

(vi)Develop proposals for a concept plan for the City Centre Complex; by mid- December.

(vii)Submit a final report on a concept plan for the City Centre Complex, with recommendations for 1999 capital budget; by end of February, 1999.

Project 2 - Communications Program: to be coordinated by Corporate Communications

(i)Finalize a work plan for the communication plan; by end of July.

(ii)Implement the communication plan; process to start in July and continue until completion of the project.

 A communication plan is being developed by Corporate Communications to meet the communications requirements for the City Centre Project along with the City Hall renovations project and will be coordinated with the various components of the public participation program. The plan will focus on creating awareness among specific target audiences and the general public that the City of Toronto is examining the development of a new City Centre Complex, ensuring that all stakeholders are informed during the various stages of the process and encouraging broad public input into the development of proposals for the project.

 The communication plan will make use of a variety of communication elements to raise public awareness and interest and solicit public input into the project, including the use of:

• a uniform graphic design to provide a consistent look for all the information materials produced;
• a telephone information/access line to serve as a single access point for public information and feedback;
• a "News Update" newsletter to provide information about bout significant milestones in the process;
• visual displays located in highly visible public places such as City Hall, local civic centres, shopping malls, and other locations across the city to feature various aspects of the project;
• the Intranet and Internet to provide information such as the News Update newsletter, temporary/permanent office relocations and public meeting schedules, and to allow electronic input into the public consultation process;
• media releases and media events to highlight important public consultation events and report on the achievement of important milestones;
• newspaper advertising to advertise public consultation events.

Project 3 - Public Participation: to be coordinated by various groups

 The objective of the public participation program is to solicit ideas and priorities from the general public, special interest groups and key stakeholders of surrounding lands for consideration in the Ideas Workshop and during development of proposals for a concept plan for the City Centre Complex. The results of the workshop and staff proposals will be the subject of public review, prior to submission of recommendations to City Council in February, 1999.

(i)Design a public input process for the general public; to be coordinated by Healthy City Office; process to start in July.

 The Healthy City office is developing a plan for broad public consultation on the project designed to ensure that barriers to public input are minimized by providing a range of ways for people to participate. Efforts will be made to ensure that citizens from across the geographic and demographic scope of the new city will be able to contribute to the discussion on the formation of a new City Centre Complex. The community outreach components will include:

• a postcard providing information about the project, upcoming tours, open houses, etc., and allowing for public feedback by mail, Internet, City telephone access line, or drop off locations; to be distributed through public libraries, Access Toronto and local community centres, as well as City Hall, local civic centres and Councillors' constituency offices;
• community cable television programs and phone-in shows to raise public awareness about the project, obtain viewers' comments, and provide information on other ways for citizens to participate;
• an Internet survey to obtain feedback from Internet users on such questions as "How would you make City Hall more than just a building?";
• a mapping exercise to analyse how people are currently using the interior and exterior spaces that make up the City Centre area in order to determine what activities/layouts work well or function poorly and need improvement to maximize the use and enjoyment of the space;
• guided public tours of City Hall, Nathan Phillips Square and the surrounding area, as well as the other civic centres, followed by open houses to generate public discussion on the current functionality and future potential uses of these spaces;
• use of City Hall Call Centre (multilingual service) to receive public telephone enquiries and comments on the project.

(ii)Design a public input process for special interest groups such as Tourism Toronto, and the Board of Trade; to be coordinated by Economic Development; process to start in July.

(iii)Design a public input process for the owners and key stakeholders of surrounding lands, such as the Ministry of the Attorney General, the hotels, owner of the adjacent Bay/Dundas/Elizabeth Street lands, Trizec Hahn (owner of the Bell Building), Eaton Centre, the Bay; to be coordinated by City Planning; process to start in July.

(iv)Hold discussions with Bell Canada, Eaton Centre, the Bay, regarding options; to be coordinated by CAO's office; process to start in July.

Project 4 - Ideas Workshop and Follow-Up Public Meeting: to be coordinated by Urban Design and Facilities and Real Estate

(i)Plan an 'Ideas Workshop', in conjunction with the Toronto Society of Architects and related professional organizations, for approximately 100 invited participants; to be funded by corporate sponsors; to be held in mid-October.

(ii)Hold a public meeting on the results of the workshop; to be held in early November.

 The objectives of the workshop are:

(a)to raise awareness among stakeholders and community leaders about the creation of a City Centre Complex anchored by Toronto City Hall as the new seat of government;

(b)to involve stakeholders and community leaders in the development of guiding principles and identification of key issues related to the City Centre Complex;

(c)to explore design concepts / ideas and an implementation strategy, including setting priorities for the development of the City Centre Complex.

 Participants representing design professionals, residents/ratepayers groups from across the new city, area stakeholders, the business community, the tourism industry, Nathan Phillips Square users and other interest groups will seek answers to such questions as:

• What is your vision for a new City Centre?
• What changes and additions to Nathan Phillips Square would you like to see?
• What is the potential use of Old City Hall and how should it relate to the new City Hall and the Nathan Phillips Square?
• How should the City Centre Complex be linked to the Community Civic Centres?
• What are the qualities of the spaces, edges and linkages to the City Centre Complex?

 A public meeting will be held shortly after the Ideas Workshop to allow broader discussion of the ideas generated at the workshop.

Project 5 - Establishment of a Museum of Toronto: to be coordinated by Heritage Toronto

 Based on a motion adopted by City Council, the feasibility of incorporating a Museum of Toronto in Old City Hall as part of the City's possible future renovations to the building or in another City owned building will be examined.

(i)Determine the preliminary space needs of a Museum of Toronto; by beginning of October.

(ii)Examine the feasibility of incorporating this use as a potential use in Old City Hall or other City owned building; by mid-November.

Project 6 - Financial Analysis: to be coordinated by Finance

 As requested by City Council, the Chief Financial Officer will identify financing options related to the proposals for the City Centre Complex to ensure the financial feasibility of the project. I, in consultation with the Chief Financial Officer, will report in September on available funding from the Federal and Provincial Governments for this project which City Council designated as Toronto's Millennium Project.

(i)Report on Federal and Provincial Government funding assistance available for this project designated as Toronto's Millennium Project; by beginning of September.

(ii)Review and report on other options for financing the proposals, including the underground connections and development of the City lands to the north of City Hall; by end of November.

1. OTHER RELATED PROJECTS

1. Phase 2 City Hall Renovations

 I will be reporting in September of this year on initial options and proposals to upgrade the main floor of City Hall as part of the Phase 2 renovations to City Hall to be undertaken early in 1999. Given the ongoing importance of this floor as the main public entrance to the Toronto's seat of government, the design and functionality of this space will be examined in the context of its ability to also serve as a major focal point for the City Centre Complex in the future.

1. Improvements to Nathan Phillips Square

 Several studies recommending improvements to Nathan Phillips Square have been undertaken in recent years. While proposals to upgrade the Square will be developed as part of the City Centre project, I will be submitting a separate report in September, recommending that items such as the construction of a well designed, permanent outdoor stage be included in the 1999 budget.

 C.Development of a Corporate Accommodation Plan

 A study to develop a corporate accommodation plan for the new organization at City Hall and other civic buildings is being undertaken separately. It will be coordinated by the Facilities and Real Estate Division, along with the Amalgamation Office, and will tie in with the City Centre Project, particularly with respect to developing office space standards and determining priority space users at City Hall based on the organizational restructuring. This project will be reported on separately, with a principles report to be forwarded to the Corporate Services Committee in July. A report on key staff use of City Hall in 1999 will be presented to City Council by early October.

1. BUDGET REQUIREMENTS

 The work plan for the City Centre Project includes a communications program and public consultation process that are estimated to cost approximately $50,000, funding for which is available from the Operating Budget of the Facilities and Real Estate Division. The Ideas Workshop proposed in the Fall will be funded by corporate sponsors.

Conclusions:

 The City Centre Project provides an exciting opportunity to examine how City Hall can meet its longer term needs as the seat of government for the new City of Toronto. The first step in the development of the complex is the renovation to City Hall which is currently underway. It is anticipated that the development program will take place over a number of years as funding and other opportunities become available. The initiative involves a wide range of people from both inside and outside of municipal government. This report sets out several interrelated projects that need to be undertaken so that proposals for the development of a new City Centre Complex can be presented to City Council in early 1999.

 Contact:

 Cathie Macdonald, Project Executive and Interim Lead, Facilities and Real Estate, phone 392-0449, fax 392-0029; Sheila Glazer, Project Coordinator, phone 392-0879, fax 392-0029 (cs98030.wpd)

Commissioner of Corporate Services

 APPENDIX A

CITY CENTRE PROJECT RECOMMENDATIONS APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL, FEBRUARY 4, 5, AND 6, 1998 - CONSOLIDATED LIST GROUPED BY SUBJECT

1. GENERAL

 1.1That New City Hall be designated as the "City Centre Project". (Rec 2)

 1.2That this new City Centre Project be designated as Toronto's Millennium Project. (Rec 3)

 2.PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS

 2.1That City Council approve City Hall as its permanent, long-term location; and further that the (Acting Executive) Commissioner of Corporate Services be requested to report on:

 (a)a development plan for a Civic Complex, including the possibility of including City Hall, Old City Hall, Nathan Phillips Square and the City owned-land to the north of City Hall, and processes for public participation;

 (c)the development of space standards including space requirements for Council and the administrative functions of the organization. (Rec 1)

 2.2That this Project include a review of the feasibility of underground connections to Old City Hall and the Yonge Subway, either via the Eaton Centre or across Queen Street via The Bay, and to the University Subway. (Rec 6)

 2.3That the Toronto Society of Architects be invited to participate with other professionals in a charrette to assist in outlining possibilities for the Civic Complex. (Rec 10)

1. NEGOTIATIONS

 3.1That the Chief Administrative Officer be requested to commence discussions with Bell Canada regarding possible incorporation of their holdings into the complex. (Rec 8)

 3.2That the (Acting Executive) Commissioner of Corporate Services be requested to meet with the principles of the Eaton Centre and the Bay in order to discuss possibilities. (Rec 9)

 3.3That the Chief Administrative Officer be requested to review the feasibility of establishing a Museum of Toronto as part of the Old City Hall renovations. (Rec 11)

 3.4That the Province of Ontario be served notice to vacate Old City Hall at the end of the present lease agreement; however, they be advised that the City of Toronto is prepared to extend the lease for a one-year period at $7.2 million, and that the money be used to offset the renovation at Toronto City Hall. (Rec 12)

 3.5That the Province of Ontario be offered the opportunity to lease the former Police Headquarters on Jarvis Street to house the Provincial Courts. (Rec 13)

 4.PROCESS FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

 4.1That City Council approve City Hall as its permanent, long-term location; and further that the (Acting Executive) Commissioner of Corporate Services be requested to report on:

 (a)a development plan for a Civic Complex, including the possibility of including City Hall, Old City Hall, Nathan Phillips Square and the City owned-land to the north of City Hall, and processes for public participation. (Rec 1)

 4.2That the Chief Administrative Officer be requested to submit a report to the Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team, outlining a process for public participation in planning the redesign of Toronto City Hall, including organizations and groups such as Tourism Toronto. (Rec 14)

1. FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS

5.1That federal and provincial assistance be sought if the City Centre Project is designated as Toronto's Millennium Project. (Rec 4)

 5.2That the Chief Financial Officer be requested to review the feasibility of partially financing the City Centre Project by the development of City-owned land to the north of City Hall, including the rehabilitation of Bay Street from Yonge to Dundas Street. (Rec 5)

 5.3The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer be requested to submit a report to the Corporate Services Committee, within four months, on the financial feasibility of accomplishing all of the recommendations that have been put forward by the Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team. (Rec 16)

 5.4That the Chief Financial Officer be requested to submit a report to the Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team, on the ability to finance underground connections through lease or sale of commercial space. (Rec 7)

APPENDIX B

APPENDIX C

 PRELIMINARY WORK PLAN FOR CITY CENTRE PROJECT