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		June 23, 1999 To:North York Community Council From:Joe Halstead, Commissioner Economic Development, Culture & Tourism Subject:Feasibility Study - Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre - Ward 7 - Black Creek Purpose: This report will provide the North York Community Council with a summary of the findings of the Staff Report On The Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre (Appendix A). The report was compiled by staff of the Economic Development, Culture and Tourism Department with input from community stakeholders and local Councillors. It is expected that the Staff Report will provide the North York Community Council with the relevant information to determine the future use/viability of the existing Yorkwoods building and surrounding property. Source of Funds: Capital Budget money had previously been allocated by Council to demolish the existing Yorkwoods building and restore the area to green space: $80,000 in 1998, to be carried over to 1999. When further study of the issue was requested, $10,000 of this Capital Budget allocation was made available to conduct a feasibility study and hire an outside consultant if necessary. This money was not expended as the review was completed internally by Departmental staff. Recommendations: It is recommended that: (1) the Staff Report On The Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre be accepted as a review of the variables impacting on the future use/viability of the Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre and surrounding property; (2) Council determine the future use/viability of this property based on the conclusions and recommendations in the Staff Report On The Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre; the report recommends the retention of the Yorkwoods building for community social service space and the upgrading of the surrounding greenspace; and (3) the Department be directed to review potential candidates for third party operation (based on the criteria outlined in the Report) and report back to Council. Background: Based on the Parkland Acquisition Study, there is a deficiency in open space in the Yorkwoods residential community of 5.81 hectares. It was planned that a portion of greenspace would be restored by demolishing the Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre once the new Oakdale Community Centre was built. The decision by Council to demolish the Yorkwoods facility and replace it with greenspace was re-visited after additional community consultation indicated a potential lack in community/social service space and the need to investigate the future viability/use of this property further. The direction given by Council at its meeting December 9, 1998 was to move forward with a feasibility study on the future of this property. There have been four public meetings held since November 11, 1998 when community residents adopted terms of reference for a feasibility study. The latest meeting was held on Monday June 21, 1999 to share the findings of the Staff Report On The Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre with the community. At that meeting, there was agreement on the recommendations. Comments: It has been determined that, in its present state, the Yorkwoods facility is unacceptable for recreation use or other use by community agencies. The architectural assessment completed by J. & R. Engineering indicated that the building requires $198,600 of remedial work to make it usable. The annual facility operating costs, including Departmental staffing amounts to $211,251. There are no funds allotted in the Parks and Recreation budget to cover the cost of renovations or to provide operational budget support for community group use. The Departmental operating budget has already been re-allocated to the newly opened Oakdale Community Centre. Community recreational needs for the area surrounding Yorkwoods and beyond will be serviced by the new facility - Oakdale Community Centre. The facility is newly opened, and it is anticipated that potential program development opportunities, previously untapped, are far greater than they were for the Yorkwoods Gate community Centre. Oakdale joins 11 other multi-purpose community recreation facilities in the West Region of the North District along with school satellite locations, arenas, sports fields, parks, and naturalized areas to provide an extensive array of recreation services for these neighbourhoods. Throughout the course of reviewing information to compile the report on Yorkwoods, it became evident that there has been a long-standing concern in the area over a lack of space for community and social services. This was indicated throughout the consultation processes which had taken place to date and from the supplemental consultation done by staff. Although there appears to be agreement among community stakeholders that greenspace is needed and desired in the community, indoor space for community/social services is the priority. Overwhelmingly, the feedback from the community showed that there should be an attempt to retain the Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre building if there is a group which meets financial requirements and can provide relevant services to the immediate community. Included in the Staff Report is a component which outlines criteria for assessment of third party operation of the facility with the above considerations. Apart from the information required for the assessment, there is a list of criteria developed from the information and community feedback compiled for the report. Two organizations have come forward with proposals to operate the facility at no cost to the City: Salvation Army and the Ghana Methodist Church of Toronto. The Department is aware that there is serious interest from one other organization - the Filipino Messiah Group. Conclusions With respect to the future use/viability of the Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre, the Department recommends that Council retain the Yorkwoods building (provided there is a qualified third party operator) for community social service space and re-allocate the funds slated for demolition to upgrade the greenspace surrounding the building. Contact Name: Jim Bradley 395-6054 Joe Halstead Commissioner Economic Development, Culture & Tourism CONTENTS *EXECUTIVE SUMMARY* I. INTRODUCTION AND HISTORY II. REVIEW OF FACILITIES AND SERVICES A. Facilities Operated By Parks and Recreation B. Utilization Of Parks And Recreation Facilities C. Parks And Greenspace D. Other Facilities And Services E. Synthesis Of Facilities And Services III. REVIEW OF CONSULTATION A. Consultation Processes i. Public Meetings ii. Letters From Community Organizations iii. Telephone Survey B. Synthesis Of Consultation IV. CRITERIA FOR THIRD PARTY OPERATION V. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre is not required to meet the recreation needs in the study area. Yorkwoods is outdated and not to current standards or participant expectations from a recreation program and building operations perspective. The community and various community social service agencies have expressed an interest in retaining the Yorkwoods Gate building structure. The building would house and help serve the local community's social service needs. This area of the City has historically been parkland/greenspace deficient. It was part of the former North York Council strategy to convert the Yorkwoods Gate site into greenspace upon the completion of the Oakdale Community Centre (replacement recreation facility for the Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre). The greening of the Yorkwoods site was to include the development of a new creative playground to serve the younger children in the neighbourhood. The issue before Community Council is: a) to continue with the plan to demolish the Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre and develop the site as parkland/greenspace; or b) to retain the building structure as community social service space The findings of the study have shown that Council could alleviate the dilemma by addressing both. Resolving pieces of both would send a message to the community that their feedback has been heard. Staff have received some proposals from social service agencies who are prepared to provide their services from this site. If Community Council approves the retention of the building structure, staff recommend that Council assess these agencies to determine their financial and service abilities. INTRODUCTION The former North York Council approved the construction of the Oakdale Community Centre to replace the out of date Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre. Staff's evaluation of the Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre indicated that the building structure was outdated and not to current standards or participant expectations from a recreation program and building operation perspective. The on-going cost of repair and maintenance was substantial ($198,000 in 1999 to complete minimal requirements). Council approved funds in the 1998 Capital Budget for the demolition of Yorkwoods. At this point, the community and community agencies requested that the structure be retained and the function change to serve the community social service needs. This report on the Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre reviews the issues relative to the retention of the building for future needs. The report presents Community Council with a comprehensive picture of the issues and variables which impact on the neighbourhood surrounding Yorkwoods. The process staff used to review the issues was developed to ensure that the community's voice was heard and community residents would benefit from the Council decision. The original decision to demolish the Yorkwoods building had an added benefit of increasing the greenspace in the area. There is an identified parkland and openspace deficiency of 5.81 hectares in this area. For the purposes of this report, staff focused on the immediate geographic area. This study area is defined by: Jane Street to the west Finch Avenue to the north Black Creek Valley to the east Sheppard Avenue to the south The data for the report was collected from: Parks and Recreation Planning Urban Forestry and Technical Services Recreation Program Harmonization Project Parks and Recreation Regional Staff Community Social Planning Council of Toronto Network of Community Based Organizations (in the Downsview community) Existing documentation from public meetings, letters from organizations, and Departmental files Council Reports HISTORY: When the concept of building a new community facility in place of the Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre was initially being discussed, and the Oakdale Park was chosen as the site, it was assumed that the Yorkwoods building would be torn down and restored to greenspace. The footprint of the Yorkwoods building - 7,662 sq. Ft. - when removed would help offset the greenspace requirement in the Yorkwoods area. Community mobilization and several years of extensive community consultation had been part of the development process for the new facility. The facility identified was to house local community based agencies as well as recreation programs and services. Funding sources originally expected for the project including other levels of government were rolled back, and the reality of the Oakdale Community Centre became a substantially smaller space that originally anticipated. This resulted in a continuing need for office and meeting space for integral local community and social services. Once construction was underway for the Oakdale Community Centre and funding was allocated by Council for the demolition of Yorkwoods and restoration of greenspace (the original intention), the community again rallied around the issue of community service space and lack of it. The dialogue with respect to the future use/viability of the Yorkwoods facility and surrounding property began again, and subsequently resulted in this report. REVIEW OF FACILITIES AND SERVICES The review of facilities and services in the study area provides a clear picture of what presently exists within the community. The following categories directly correlate to the two major issues in the Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre question - 1) parks and greenspace and 2) community service space in the neighbourhood: facilities operated by the Parks and Recreation Division of the City utilization of Parks and Recreation services parks and greenspace facilities/services operated by other organizations To review the utilization of facilities operated by Parks and Recreation, attendance statistics were collected from the Recreation Programs Harmonization Project, the School Use Inventory, and community centre registration records. Utilization is detailed for the community recreation facilities within the Yorkwoods study area. As well, observations of the Divisional staff who are responsible for the provision of direct programming in the facilities is included in this review. Participation rates, where recorded, reflect the number of registrants per year, not the entire number of participants who attended programs. Age categories used to record utilization are defined as follows: Pre-school0-5 years Children6-12 years Youth13-24 years Adults18-64 years Senior Adults65 years and up A. FACILITIES OPERATED BY PARKS AND OPERATION *COMMUNITY CENTRES:* Oakdale Community Centre (all activities previously accommodated at Yorkwoods) Northwood Community Centre Stanley Community Centre * *SWIMMING POOLS:* Oakdale (outdoor) (replacing the Yorkwoods pool) Northwood (outdoor) Stanley (outdoor) * Westview Centennial Secondary School (indoor) *ARENAS/ICE RINKS:* Grandravine Arena * Downsview Arena* *SCHOOL SATELLITE LOCATIONS:* Firgrove Public School * Oakdale Park Middle School Topcliffe Public School Westview Centrennial Secondary School Yorkwoods Public School *BASEBALL/SOFTBALL DIAMONDS:* Spenvalley Park *BOCCE COURTS:* Spenvalley Park Northwood Park Topcliffe Park *SOCCER FIELDS:* Amesbury Park Spenvalley Park Firgrove Park * * denotes that the facility is located outside the study area, but drawing clientele from the catchment area B. UTILIZATION OF PARKS AND RECREATION FACILITIES *PROGRAMS AND PARTICIPATION RATES - YORKWOODS GATE COMMUNITY CENTRE:* The Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre includes the following: assembly hall (on the second floor) - used as gymnasium pre-school room/meeting room meeting room office spaces - Parks and Recreation staff and Boys and Girls Club kitchen craft room/meeting room outdoor pool - not operable Variables impacting on the utilization of the Yorkwoods facility are as follows: the building is not accessible; there is no elevator access to the second floor parking is non-existent at the facility and no street parking is allowed in the immediate vicinity of the facility the building, in its present physical state is not suitable for recreation use aesthetically, the building is in dire need of improvement physical surroundings of the facility intimidates clientele from outside the Yorkwoods Village neighbourhood the space directly surrounding the building is uninviting; the play structure and basketball court are in need of upgrading All of the recreation activities at Yorkwoods can be accommodated at the new Oakdale Community Centre. Actual participation rates for programming at Yorkwoods are as follows: *Pre-school Programs35 participants/year Children's Programs95 participants/year Youth Programs70 participants/year Adults0 participants/year (had to accomodate at Yorkwoods School) Capacities at Yorkwoods limited the numbers programs were able to take. PROGRAMS AND PARTICIPATION RATES - SCHOOL SATELLITE LOCATIONS:* These locations have traditionally been operated within the study area to supplement the programming at the Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre. *Topcliffe Public School:* Junior Youth Programming 30 participants/year *Westview Centennial Secondary School:* Youth SportsProgramming40 participants/year Aquatics Programming1500 participants/year *Firgrove Public School:* Children's After School Programming75 participants/year *Yorkwoods Public School:* Women's Fitness Programming45 participants/year Children's After School Programming135 participants/year Tots - Pre-school Programming24 participants/year Summer Day Camp80 participants/year *Oakdale Public School:* Youth Sports Programming180 participants/year *PROGRAMS AND PARTICIPATION RATES - OAKDALE COMMUNITY CENTRE:* All facilities at the Oakdale Community Centre are located on the ground level: gymnasium pre-school room/multi-purpose room seniors' room/multi-purpose room kitchen outdoor basketball court outdoor pool on-site parking lot green space play structure/parkette Oakdale was designed and built to meet today's community recreation needs. This modern facility is bright, cheery, and inviting. Its attributes include: physical accessibility a bright and open aired manner which presents an aesthetically pleasing environment rooms which have a capacity and layout conducive to multi-purpose use and recreational programming a large parking lot adjacent to the front entrance to the building an attractive and newly constructed play structure, outdoor pool, outdoor basketball court, and a spacious park Potential participation rates for Oakdale are estimated based on the expanded capacity potential of the space as well as the present registration rates. *Pre-school Programs70 participants/year Children's Programs150 participants/year Youth Programs120 participants/year Adult Programs20-50 participants/year (these programs can now be accommodated out of the Oakdale facility) C.PARKS AND GREENSPACE* *PARKS AND RECREATION PARKS AND GREENSPACE:* Oakdale Park and Playground3.6 hectares Yorkwoods Gate Park and Playground1.0 hectares Spenvalley Park6.96 hectares Futura Parkette0.25 hectares Langdale Court Greenbelt1.54 hectares Topcliffe Park3.92 hectares Northwood Park 63.41 hectares Northwood Park and Playground5.12 hectares Derrydowns Park68.76 hectares *BOARDS OF EDUCATION PLAYFIELDS AND GREENSPACE:* Topcliffe Public School5.68 hectares Yorkwoods Public School5.94 hectares Oakdale Junior High School7.0 hectares St. Jane Frances 4.23 hectares Bessed Marguerita Of Citta Di Castello4.5 hectares D.OTHER FACILITIES AND SERVICES AVAILABLE IN THE STUDY AREA *SCHOOLS:* Topcliffe Public School Yorkwoods Public School Oakdale Junior High School St. Jane Frances Blessed Marguerita Of Citta Di Castello Westview Centennial Secondary School *CHILDCARE CENTRES:* Firgrove (0-5 yrs) * Totworld (18 mos-9 yrs) *RECREATION:* Jane-Finch Boys and Girls Club Firgrove Recreation Centre * *SOCIAL/COMMUNITY SERVICES AND HOUSING:* Yorkwoods Village - Toronto Housing Authority Black Creek Anti-Drug Focus Coalition Black Creek Community Health Centre PEACH Community Social Planning Council of Toronto Network of Community Based Organizations Salvation Army Canadian Cambodian Association of Ontario Conflict Mediation Services of Downsview Filipino Messiah Group Delta Childcare Network Doorsteps Neighbourhood Services Elspeth Heyworth Centre for Women Indo-Canadian Information and Service Centre Jane Finch Community Legal Services Lao Association of Ontario Northwood Neighbourhood Services Tobermory Community Activities Youth Clinical Services Canadian Hispanic Congress *RESIDENT GROUPS:* Jane-Finch Concerned Citizens' Organization Firgrove Ratepayers' Association *ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS/ORGANIZATIONS:* Toronto and Region Conservation Authority Oakdale School Environmental Group Topcliffe School Environmental Group *note: many of the social/community service organizations do not have addresses within the defined study area but do provide services to the residents* E. SYNTHESIS OF FACILITIES AND SERVICES The community is well served from a recreation standpoint. Three community recreation facilities are located less than one kilometer apart, well within walking distance for residents in the study area. Each of these facilities is equipped with multi-purpose rooms, gymnasiums, outdoor sports facilities, outdoor pools, parks, and play equipment. Community recreation needs for the neighbourhood surrounding Yorkwoods in particular will be adequately served by the new facility - Oakdale Community Centre. The facility is newly opened, and it is anticipated that future program opportunities will be far greater than they were for the Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre. The design of the Oakdale facility and the surrounding physical layout - parking, basketball court, play structure, and open green space - is much more conducive to programming for the community needs and meeting participant expectations. The brightness and newness of the facility and the building's accessibility are also factors which will lend themselves to attracting a broader constituency of clientele. Oakdale joins 11 other multi-purpose community recreation facilities in the West Region of the North District along with school satellite locations, arenas, sports fields, parks, and naturalized areas to provide an extensive array of municipal recreation services for these neighbourhoods. From this review, it is clear that the shortfall in service is not in recreation. REVIEW OF CONSULTATION A. CONSULTATION PROCESSES The purpose of this component of the report was to document the feedback from those who have shown an interest in or have significant insight into the Yorkwoods issue: community residents, community organizations, City Councillors, and Parks and Recreation staff. This information resulted from: 3 public meetings - November 11, 1998; February 1, 1999; February 24, 1999 letters and petitions from community organizations telephone survey of community stakeholders Considering that staff's main purpose in this review was an emphasis on community feedback to ensure the community was instrumental in the making of a decision, a supplementary telephone survey was undertaken with a number identified community stakeholders. Contacts for the telephone interviews were identified in consultation with District Parks and Recreation staff and included a cross section of stakeholders: school principals childcare providers youth agencies community agencies environmental groups Questions were used to extract the stakeholder's perspective on what was needed to make the community a better place to live with respect to indoor facility space and/or parks and greenspace. *PUBLIC MEETING - NOVEMBER 11, 1998:* Community residents and organizations convened to hear a presentation on the possibility of conducting a feasibility study in the Yorkwoods area to determine the future use/viability of this facility. Those in attendance included: Councillor Peter LiPreti, Executive Assistant to Councillor Maria Augimeri, Rick Morrelli, M.P.P. Mario Sergio, staff from North District Parks and Recreation, representatives from several community permit user groups, community agency staff, and residents of the local community. Presentations were made by staff summarizing the programs to be offered at the new Oakdale facility and the cost of repairs required at Yorkwoods at $198,000. The building is out of date and not to current stafndards or participant expectations. To meet these needs would require compliance with present day building codes for the entire building. Renovations on this scale would be expensive (that is why Oakdale was built as a replacement facility). Councillor LiPreti gave a synopsis of the background surrounding the issue: much less money was available to build the Oakdale facility than was originally envisioned leaving the lack of community/social space in the neighbourhood as an on-going concern. Letters in support of retaining the building from various community organizations were presented along with a petition asking to retain the Yorkwoods building to meet community needs for social services. MPP Sergio reported about the many complaints his office receives regarding the shortage of community/social service space. A motion was made at the meeting requesting a feasibility study and to request from Council the release of $30,000 of the $80,000 (allocated for demolition) to conduct the study. The motion was carried at that meeting with a vote of 26 - 1 with 12 participants abstaining. *PUBLIC MEETING - FEBRUARY 1, 1999:* A meeting was held at 31 Division with the Network of Community Based Organizations to discuss the potential of using the old Police Station for social service space. Records of discussions at the meeting reinforced: 1) the long-standing message from the community that a number of agencies are in need of social service office and meeting space located within the community and that space was expensive and was therefore inaccessible to them; and 2) that the community residents would benefit from more localized social services. There was also a discussion regarding the Yorkwoods building. Representatives expressed a renewed interest in retaining it for community/social service space. *PUBLIC MEETING - FEBRUARY 24, 1999:* Another public meeting to explore the specifics of the feasibility study regarding the future use/viability of the Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre was held. At that meeting, there were presentations made by Divisional staff on the potential uses for the Yorkwoods site and the costs associated with upgrading the facility for use. Participants attending the meeting, mostly members of groups in the community and some community residents, divided into smaller groups to discuss three areas of concern. Notes reflecting the discussion taken at the meeting are summarized below: *Future uses for the building and property:* groups identified their activities and current arrangements, their potential uses for the building; 3 organized groups are presently operating out of alternate space in the area - Friendship Community Church, Filipino Messiah Group, and the Tamil Community; all outlined similar uses - social gatherings, office space, religious services a few (3) individuals requested that the building be retained for such future uses as: Yoga classes, non-specific but keep the building, various community services *Building and property analysis:* groups wanted to conserve the building groups wanted to move out of what were "less desirable" arrangements to space where offices and other uses would be mutually compatible there were a whole range of building/site issues - such as security, building sustainability, Oakdale's adequacy (beautiful but small) there was a general acknowledgment of a preference to keep the building comments regarding the need to build a proper play structure were also made *Operational sustainability:* concerns expressed as to who would be there to "manage" with respect to security; safety of the area, eg., drugs, personal safety; and maintenance issues on building management were raised such as parking, insulation, costs to bring it up to standards, accessibility, which groups would have the financial resources to operate, types of use, who would look after maintenance, what kind of contracts would be drawn up with groups using the building Also presented at this meeting was a break-down of costs to repair to the facility as well as annual facility operating expenses. These were prepared and presented by staff from Technical Services and Urban Forestry. Annual facility operating expenses are: direct expenses - staffing, energy, operating, and maintenance$167,917 indirect expenses - support staff, permitting, supervision$ 3,000 capital expenses - capital conservation/improvements and building depreciation $40,333 TOTAL$211,250 Staff also presented a "Building Conservation Inspection" report outlining the structural repairs needed: walls, partitions and doors, roofing and heating system$81,000 swimming pool$60,000 TOTAL$141,000 A "Life Cycle Costing" chart outlining a breakdown of specific costs for repairs or replacements and timelines showing when such repairs should be completed. *LETTERS FROM COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS:* An array of letters from community organizations has been received by City Councillors, the City Clerk's Office, and MPP Sergio's Office with respect to the issues surrounding the Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre. Letters reflected the following themes: support for a consultation process to be undertaken with the community support for the building to remain as a community resource and service support for ethno-cultural centre development willingness to participate in consultation/study *TELEPHONE SURVEY:* Structured interviews with additional community contacts on the future use of Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre were undertaken to supplement input received at the previous meetings. The purpose of the interviews was to solicit input from service providers and community groups in the vicinity of Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre for their perspective on the community needs and priorities that should be considered in making recommendations on the future uses of the Yorkwoods facility. *Telephone Interview Questions* 1. What services or activities does your group provide in the community and what neighbourhoods/communities do you service? Probe: If the agency provides services or organizes activities in the community, what facilities or parks/greenspaces are used at present (or in the past few years)? 2. With respect to buildings and indoor facility space, what are you group's needs? 3. With respect to parks and greenspaces, what are your group's needs? 4. Again, with respect to indoor facility space and parks/greenspace, what could be done to make the community a better place to live? Which of these are the highest priority from your perspective? *Interview Respondents:* Mike Hodge, Principal - Yorkwoods Public School 25 Yorkwoods Gate 395-2990 Ted Reuter, Principal - Oakdale Middle School 315 Grandravine Drive 395-3060 Veronica Bak, Teacher - Topcliffe School Physical Education/Environmental Program 65 Topcliffe Avenue 395-2990 Brenda Sam, Director - Totworld Childcare Centre 25 Yorkwoods Gate (Yorkwoods School) 638-3003 Gurdial S. Pabla, Chairperson - Indo-Canadian Information and Service Centre Finch Main Plaza 2437 Finch Avenue West, #15 746-5846 Veena Dutta, Director - Elspeth Heyworth Centre For Women 1280 Finch Avenue West, #302 663-2978 Wanda MacNevin, Health Promoter - Black Creek Community Health Centre 2202 Jane Street, Unit 5 249-8000 Helena Traill, Property Manager - Metro Toronto Housing Authority Yorkwoods Village 327-7037 Ruth Morris, P.E.A.C.H. (Formerly Black Creek Anti-Drug Focus Coalition) 750 Oakdale Road 740-9593 *Interview Responses* The responses to the telephone interview questions are summarized as follows: *1. Activities Provided:* education; environmental awareness programs; seniors' programming for Indo-Canadians; women's services for immigrant women; cultural festivals; celebrations; health promotion; community outreach; property management; community economic development; community newspaper *Indoor Space Used:* Yes - 9 Facilities Used: Driftwood Community Centre; Grandravine Community Centre; Stanley Community Centre; Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre ; Library; Northwoods Community Centre; Schools 2.Greenspace/Parks Used:* No - 2 Yes - 7 Parks Used: Topcliffe Schoolyard; Ravines in area; Yorkwoods Schoolyard; Oakdale Schoolyard; Yorkwoods Gate Park; Earl Bales Park *3. Needs For Indoor Facility Space:* No - 3 Yes - 6 Comments - definitely the priority of the two *Needs For Greenspace:* No - 5 Yes - 4 Comments - most use only occasionally *4. Greenspace Would Make The Community A Better Place To Live:* Yorkwoods building is ugly; for that reason alone, tear it down greenspace would be welcome, but it depends what will be done to it; if just grass and trees, no - put in upgraded basketball court and play structure need basketball courts with indestructible rims; put in school yards as well as area parks - need these facilities on both sides of Jane Street use ravines and wooded areas for running programs promote joint programs between schools and Parks and Recreation to encourage the use of greenspace, ravines, parks in area need more outdoor play space for children childcare centres travel to all local parks in the community develop outdoor summer leadership camps kids would benefit from upgraded play areas *Indoor Facility Space Would Make The Community A Better Place To Live:* there are smaller groups operating in the area who are looking for space, but space is too costly kids can play in existing schoolyards, especially Yorkwoods School which is located across the street from the community centre and has a large play field and structure the priority is definitely for the provision of social service space, for eg., Salvation Army used to run a food bank out of Firgrove but ran out of room; they would like to move right into the community and that would benefit this neighbourhood community needs counseling services although greenspace is aesthetically pleasing to look at, in prioritizing, it is the provision of social service space which will have the greatest impact on the quality of life for residents kids need more structured programs; adults as well there is a dire shortage of indoor space in the area need language programs, drop-ins for adults in the area; there's not a lot for adults benefits of keeping the Yorkwoods building far outweigh the negatives need a food bank in the direct vicinity need Moms and Tots space there is a shortage of both indoor and greenspace, but indoor space is needed more important to retain Yorkwoods - there is a shortage of meeting and office space for local agencies childcare centre in Yorkwoods School used Yorkwoods C.C. for emergency space; where will they go now? *Issues Expressed During The Interview:* the greenspace area surrounding the Yorkwoods C.C. is already a "hang-out"; knocking down the building or not using the building makes it worse the reality in this neighbourhood is that greenspace is a nice idea, but after dark people don't use it; parents want their children inside where they're safe kids need outdoor play space, but it needs to be supervised - for small children as well as older children using outdoor basketball courts sometimes the younger children are intimidated by the older ones most kids in this neighbourhood are cooped up in apartment buildings all summer; they need to get outside and play, but parents are afraid there are beautiful greenspace, ravines, parks in this community which are not used for a number of reasons most kids have never been in the ravines or wooded areas because they are not allowed to go there security is a big issue in the area; greenspace may cause more of these problems and fears parking is not a problem and should not be looked at as a deterrent to retain theYorkwoods building; if it is an issue, it can be overcome with a joint effort by M.T.H.A., the school, and the local plaza - this is a small problem compared to not having enough space for programs don't need more housing in this area; the area has already been exploited and is too densely populated - there is a proposed housing development west of Yorkgate Mall; if greenspace is an issue, that space should be turned into a small community centre and park; the space in the area needs to be used wisely a number of agencies have had to locate out of the area make sure the criteria developed for third party operation of the Yorkwoods facility is outlined clearly and will provide for the benefit of the community B. SYNTHESIS OF CONSULTATION Consultation on the Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre issue has become somewhat of a redundancy for community stakeholders in this neighbourhood. An indepth consultation process for the development of the Oakdale Community Centre began over 10 years ago and has evolved into the consultation process over what to do with the Yorkwoods building and surrounding property. In completing the supplemental consultation for this report, there was frustration expressed by many who have been involved in the process from the beginning. Many reiterated that the community needs had been given time and time again. The main concern for community stakeholders has remained that of a shortage of social service agency space within the immediate community. Although there is agreement that greenspace is needed and desired in the community, indoor space for community and social services is the priority. From a cross-section of community representatives - school principals, housing property manager, childcare centre coordinators, environmental groups, and community based agencies - it was stated once more very clearly. The final stage of the consultation process was held on Monday June 21, 1999 when the findings from this report were shared with the community. All present were in agreement with the conclusions and recommendations. CRITERIA FOR THIRD PARTY OPERATION Staff are recommending that the "City of Toronto Grant Application" package be used as the primary tool to assess the qualifications of interested third party operators. Information compiled from the community stakeholders, City Councillors, and Departmental staff indicated additional criteria to be considered in the assessment of a potential third party. The main concerns from a Departmental standpoint is that the funds are not available in-house, and the building should only be retained if the third party can be deemed to qualify financially to renovate and sustain on-going operational costs. The list of other criteria is as follows: that the building be used to provide community based social services, preferably a multitude of services that the services to be provided be relevant to the residents in the immediate vicinity of Yorkwoods that the services not be homogeneous in nature but be applicable to a cross-section of the immediate community that there be a proven track record of service provision in the immediate community CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS YORKWOODS GATE COMMUNITY CENTRE The recreation activities offered at the Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre can be provided at the new Oakdale Community Centre. The community is well served from a recreation activity standpoint by the facilities and services offered in the study area. *Recommendation:* 1. That retaining the Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre not be justified on the basis of outstanding recreation need. The community and the community social service agencies serving the community have identified a lack of space required to meet the social the social needs of the community. These parties have requested that consideration be given to retaining the Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre building structure for offices and service space to meet the identified community social service space needs. *Recommendation:* 2.That the Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre be retained for community social service purposes. 3. That potential building tenants be assessed by Council using the criteria outlined in the report (primary tenant to be responsible for capital and on-going operating costs). PARKLAND/GREENSPACE REQUIREMENT Staff and community residents have expressed interest in converting the Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre site into greenspace and the construction of a new creative playground for young children. *Recommendation:* 4. That the Yorkwoods Gate Community Centre pool and surrounding grounds be restored to greenspace including the construction of a creative playground for young children.
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