Toronto City Hall
100 Queen Street West
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M5H 2N2
www.city.toronto.on.ca
Tel: 416-392-1126
Fax: 416-392-1330
File No.087378
Urban Planning and Development Services
October 8, 1998
To:Toronto Community Council
From:Robert Glover, Director, Urban Design, City Planning
Subject:Bay Adelaide Centre - Amended Percent for Public Art Plan, - South Block,
Downtown, Ward 24
Purpose:The purpose of this report is to inform Council of the Bay Adelaide Centre -
Amended Percent for Public Art Plan and to seek approval of the recommendations from the
Public Art Commission.
Source of Funds:
All costs associated with the Bay Adelaide Amended Percent for Public Art Plan are the
responsibility of the TrizecHahn Office Properties.
Recommendations:
That Council approve the following recommendations from the Public Art Commission:
- That the Bay Adelaide Centre Amended Percent for Public Art Plan - South Block (Phase
I) - as presented to the Public Art Commission on September 3, 1998, be approved, subject
to the following conditions:
a) That in its analysis of the submitted proposals by the artists, that the art selection jury allow
for some flexibility within the budget and site proposals, but with an emphasis on the most
publicly accessible areas of the development; and,
b) That the proposed list of potential art selection jury members is acceptable subject to a
minimum of one artist being included on the jury.
Council Reference/Background/History:
The original Bay Adelaide Public Art Plan was approved in 1988 by the former Toronto City
Council (October 21, 1988, Report 23, Clause No.1) but the development went on hold in the
early 1990's. Subsequently, the design of the building has been changed significantly, and the
developer is submitting this amended plan to enable the public art to capitalize on the
opportunities presented within the new scheme.
The following is a summary of the Amended Public Art Plan, as presented by Karen Mills,
public art consultant, and John Roce, Project Director, Bay Adelaide Centre. The full plan is
on file with Urban Design, in City Planning.
The Bay Adelaide Project development is located in the northeast core of the financial district
and is bounded by Yonge, Bay, Queen Street West and Adelaide Street. The development of
the south block of the project will consist of one 50 storey Class "A" office tower comprised
of 1.3 million square feet of rentable office space, and 55,000 square feet of concourse ground
and second level retail space. The development manager is TrizecHahn Office Properties Inc.
and the architects are Webb Zerafa Menkes Housden Partnership.
There are two phases to this development, the north and south blocks, and this proposed
public art plan addresses the South Block (Phase I). Under the terms of the existing Section 37
Agreement (previously Section 36 Agreement), the developer will commission public art to
the value of approximately $2.0 million for the South Block. A public art plan is also required
for the North Phase, upon development of that phase.
In keeping with the City Planning Percent for Public Art Program, the developer has elected
to pursue Option 2 to comply with the percent for public art plan as outlined in the
Development Approval Manual. This option entitles the developer to commission art works
and collaborative art works as part of the building exterior and publicly accessible areas
throughout the site.
Estimated Budget:
The Estimated Budget is $2,000,000, which is based on anticipated one percent of the gross
construction costs for the South Block (Phase I). The actual budget will be determined upon
application for a building permit application.
Estimated budget: $2,000,000
Administration fees: 200,000
Construction contingency: 200,000
Art allocation: 1,600,000
Governing principles for the public art plan:
- Provide public art that will create a unique identity for the Bay Adelaide Centre and
enhance the project through the development of art in the most public locations. The public
art should be so powerful that people will visit the site in order to see it.
- Limit the number of public art locations in order to ensure that the budget for each element
to have an impact.
- Integrate the art with architecture wherever possible.
- Recognize and respect the requirements of future development possibilities.
- Commission public art of international calibre.
Proposed Art Locations and approximate budget allocations:
Location 1Temperance Street extending into Yonge Street Courtyard up to $400,000
Location 2Lower Building Frontage on Adelaide and Temperance Streets up to $550,000
Location 3Mid-Block Connection up to $400,000
Location 4Building Top up to $250,000
Art/Artist Selection Method:
An invitational 2 stage competition will be conducted. The Jury will review the written first
stage submissions and recommend a second stage short-list.
Jury Composition:
There will be 5 members on the jury composition, consisting of 2 developer representatives,
and 3 art experts, independent of the developer.
Developer representatives:TrizecHahn Representative (to be determined by developer) and
Carl Blanchaer, Project Architect
Outside representatives: Three will be selected, subject to availability:
Garth Norbraten, architect, local area representative
Matthew Teitlebaum, Director, Art Gallery of Ontario
Robin Thomson Anthony, Art Consultant
William Boyle, Director, Harbourfront
Barbara Astman, visual artist
Colette Whiten, visual artist
First stage invited artists:
Locations 1,2,3
Alice Aycock; Ibos-Vitart; Matt Mullican; Mary Miss; Jackie Ferrara; R.M. Fischer; Sol
Lewitt; Antony Gormley; Arlene Stamp; Francois Dallegret; Barbara Steinman; Dale
Chilhuly; Tony Cragg; Warren Carther.
Location 4
Joan Frick; Doreen Balabanoff; Howard Ungerleider; Michael Hayden
Proposed schedule:
Building bid packages will be issued in October 1998. In order to ensure that provisions are
made to accommodate the public art, the artists must be working with the design team by
November 1998. The competitions will be held in late October 1998.
Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:
The Bay Adelaide Project Amended Public Art Plan, as submitted by TrizecHahn Office
Properties, is in accordance with the developer precinct agreements and City Planning's
criteria, as published in the Developer Approval Manual. This proposed public art plan is an
ambitious one and is being submitted to Council for approval in a timely manner as to ensure
that the public art components will be integrated into the overall design scheme. Subject to the
recommended conditions as referred to earlier in this report, this plan was fully supported by
the Public Art Commission. It should be noted that this plan will be of no cost to the City and
all of the expenditures will be the responsibility of TrizecHahn Office Properties.
Conclusion:
I am in full support of this Amended Public Art Plan and look forward to the final outcome of
the public art in the Bay Adelaide Project.
I will be reporting back to Council in the future on the Public Art Plan for the North Block
(Phase II).
Contact Name:Jane Perdue, Public Art Coordinator, Urban Design
Telephone: (416) 392-1304
Fax: (416) 392-1330
E-Mail: jperdue@city.toronto.on.ca
Robert Glover
Director
Urban Design, City Planning Division
(p:\1998\ug\uds\to981718.pln) - lm
