April 6, 1999
To:Corporate Services Committee
From:Commissioner of Corporate Services
Subject:Sale of Surplus land at 11 August Avenue
South of Danforth Avenue and East of Victoria Park Avenue
(Ward 13 - Scarborough Bluffs)
Purpose:
To seek Council's approval to accept an offer from Mr. Gaspare Messina to purchase the surplus lands at 11 August
Avenue.
Funding:
Revenue in the amount of $75,000.00, less broker's commission of $3,000.00 plus GST and any expenses incurred by the
City incidental to the closing of the transaction.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that:
(1)Council waive the obligations, pursuant to Section 42 of the Expropriations Act, to offer the owner or owners from
whom the property was expropriated, the first chance to repurchase to lands on the terms of the best offer received;
(2)the Commissioner of Corporate Services or the Executive Director of Facilities and Real Estate be authorized to
accept the offer from Mr. Gaspare Messina to purchase the vacant land located at 11 August Avenue and described as Lot
24, Registered Plan 1936;
(3)the City Solicitor be authorized to complete this transaction according to the terms and conditions of the Agreement
of Purchase and Sale; and
(4)the appropriate City officials be authorized and directed to take necessary action to give effect thereto.
History:
With the adoption of Clause No. 5, Report No. 28 of the Corporate Administration Committee, the former Metropolitan
Council, on November 8, 1995, authorized staff to offer four parcels of surplus lands at the lower end of the market value
range, to Metropolitan Toronto Habitat for Humanity Inc. The four parcels are delineated in heavy black lines on Schedule
"A" attached and are in the Oakridge Community which is predominantly a low to medium density residential
neighbourhood with commercial/retail activities along Danforth Avenue.
Metropolitan Toronto Habitat for Humanity Inc. (MTHFH) is a charitable non-profit volunteer organization building homes
around the world in partnership with badly housed families. MTHFH accepts no government money, but it does accept
donated land, donated services and donated development fees.
Comments:
Negotiations between staff and Mr. Nicholas Volk, Chair of the Board of Directors of MTHFH have been ongoing since
March 1996. Based on internal appraisal reports, an offer to sell three of the four properties was made to MTHFH on
September 16, 1998, subject to Council approval. The remaining property was not offered as it is not zoned for residential
use. Initially MTHFH indicated interest in purchasing two of the properties (27 Lucy and 11 August Avenue) but then
withdrew from negotiations in February 1999 advising that they had "decided to target larger pieces of properties in order
to build more than one home at a time"
The property at 11 August Avenue was listed on the Toronto Real Estate Board's Multiple Listing Service with Re-Max
Goldenway Realty Inc. at an asking price of $79,900.00 on March 3, 1999. While there were twelve inquires about the site,
only one offer , that from Mr. Gaspare Messina to purchase the property was received on March 18, 1999 with the
following terms and conditions:
Property Address:11 August Avenue
Legal Description:Lot 24, Registered Plan 1936, City of Toronto (formerly City of Scarborough)
Approximate Lot Size:7.62 metres (25 feet) fronting onto August Avenue
32.62 metres (107 feet) depth
Location:East side of August Avenue, south of Danforth Avenue,
east of Victoria Park Avenue
Improvements:None
Occupancy Status:Vacant
Recommended Sale Price:$75,000.00
Deposit:$7,500.00 (held by the listing agent in trust pending completion of the transaction)
Purchaser:Gaspare Messina
Closing Date:June 18, 1999
Terms:Cash on closing, subject to the usual adjustments
Listing Broker:Re/Max Goldenway Realty Inc.
Selling Broker:Sutton Group Fox Realty Inc.
Commission:Four (4) per cent, plus G.S.T., payable on closing of the transaction.
Conclusion:
Completion of this transaction as detailed above is considered fair and reasonable and reflective of market value.
Contact Name:
Neubert Li, Real Estate Administrator, (416) 396-7422, Fax No. (416) 396-4241, E-mail Address:
li@city.scarborough.on.ca (cs99057.wpd)
Margaret Rodrigues
Commissioner of Corporate Services