Classical Chinese Garden

Ward 18 - Scarborough Malvern

The Scarborough Community Council recommends:

(1)that Councillors Berardinetti, Cho, Faubert and Shaw be appointed to serve on the Classical Chinese Garden Fundraising Committee to work with representatives of the Chinese Cultural Centre, with powers to appoint any additional members with specific expertise, as required; and

(2)that City Council appoint any other Members of Council who wish to serve on this Fundraising Committee.

The Scarborough Community Council reports having directed that a progress report on the fundraising efforts be submitted to Community Council every six months.

The Scarborough Community Council submits the following report (January 4, 1999) from the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism:

Purpose:

To obtain nominations from Scarborough Community Council for a fundraising committee for the Classical Chinese Garden.

Funding:

None.

Recommendations:

That Community Council:

(a)nominate up to three members of Community Council to serve on a Garden Fundraising Committee to work with appointed representatives of the Chinese Cultural Centre, with powers to appoint any additional members with specific expertise, as required;

(b)forward this report to City Council seeking interest from other Councillors in membership on the Fundraising Committee; and

(c)receive a progress report from the Fundraising Committee every six months.

Background:

The first buildings of the Scarborough Community Complex were opened this year. They are the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto and the Burrows Hall Community Centre and Library. Since its inception in 1992, the project has included a classical Chinese Garden as an integral part of the complex (Appendix 1.) As conceived, the garden would be a completely authentic 0.61hectare (1.5 acre) facility. This would make it the largest classical garden, built to date, outside China.

A feasibility study completed and approved by the former Scarborough Council in 1997 points to the enormous cultural, tourism and economic significance of this exciting project. Attendance at the garden could reach 270,000 per year, before stabilizing at around 150,000 annually. The garden will be of regional, as well as local significance. Built into the design will be the potential for its use for movie and advertising shoots as well as for receptions an other corporate events. There exists a potential for the Garden to generate up to $300,000 per annum (Appendix 2.) A key recommendation of the Feasibility Study is the formation of a Garden Society to assist in the running of the Garden.

Since January of this year, the conceptual design for the Garden has been developed by City staff, the City's consultants and their sub-consultants, the Suzhou Landscape Institute (Appendix 3.)

Funding for the Garden is identified in the City's capital budget as "to be paid for by private fundraising, at '0' net cost to the City". The development of the Scarborough Community Complex is governed by the terms of a Tri-Party Agreement, signed in May 1993. The three signatories were the City of Scarborough, the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto and CMS Investments Inc.

The agreement sets out the responsibilities of the City and the Chinese Cultural Centre in the matter of fundraising (Appendix 4.) A start up fund of approximately $200,000 was obtained from the land developer and this has ben used for the conceptual design phase. The conceptual design is now complete and there is a necessity to begin major fundraising, to further the design development of the garden and lead to its implementation. The former City of Scarborough directed that up to $20,000 of the start-up money be used for promotional material for fundraising. This money is still available.

The Suzhou Landscape Institute has recommended a Two Phase construction for the garden. The first phase would produce a complete garden with three "scenes" and cost approximately $5.6million. At build-out, it is estimated the total project value would be around $13 million. Upon raising the $5.6 million, the first phase of the Garden would take approximately eighteen months to complete.

It is recommended that a fundraising committee for the Garden be formed jointly, by the City and the Chinese Cultural Centre. The composition would include City Councillors, appropriate City staff and representatives of the Chinese Cultural Centre.

Contact Name:

Robert Stephens

Scarborough Civic Centre

Telephone: (416) 396-7027

Fax: (416) 396-4265

E-mail: stephens@city.scarborough.on.ca

The following persons appeared before the Community Council in connection with the foregoing matter:

-Dr. Ming-Tat Cheung, Chinese Cultural Centre; and

-Mr. Brian Chu, Chinese Cultural Centre.