Classical Chinese Garden Fundraising Committee

Progress Report

The Scarborough Community Council recommends that City Council:

(1) adopt Recommendation No. (1) contained in the following report;

(2) adopt Recommendation No. (2) and appoint a Member of City Council from another community to the Classical Chinese Garden Fundraising Committee; and

(3) refer Recommendation No. (3) to the Policy and Finance Committee with the request that the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer report thereto on the budgetary implications of this Recommendation by the Fundraising Committee.

Recorded vote on Scarborough Community Council Recommendation No. (3):

Yeas: Councillors Ashton, Balkissoon, Kelly, Soknacki, Tzekas -5

Nays: Councillors Berardinetti, Cho, Duguid, Shaw -4

Decided in the affirmative by a majority of 1.

The Scarborough Community Council submits the following report (January 4, 2000) from Committee Members of the Classical Chinese Garden Fundraising Committee:

Purpose:

The first progress report of the Committee, as directed by City Council.

Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

None, at this time.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that Community Council recommend to City Council that:

(1) Councillor Soknacki be appointed a member of the Fundraising Committee;

(2) the membership of the Committee be expanded to include a member of City Council from another community; and

(3) conditional on funds being raised by the Fundraising Committee, City Council approve, in principle, a matching contribution to the capital cost of the project.

Background:

At its February meeting, City Council adopted Clause 10 of Report 1 of the Scarborough Community Council. This clause established the membership of a joint City/Chinese Cultural Centre Fundraising Committee for the Classical Chinese Garden. Councillors Berardinetti, Shaw, Cho and Faubert were chosen to represent the City. The clause also required that the Committee submit a progress report to Community Council every six months. This is the first such report. In it the Committee is reporting activity in the following areas:

(1) Membership

The Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto has been represented at Committee meetings by the following: Dr. Ming-Tat Cheung, Mr. Brian Chu and Mr. Harry Chan. Staff support has been provided by Robert Stephens of Urban Planning & Development Services and by Judy Morgan and Todd Davidson of Economic Development, Culture & Tourism.

The late Councillor Faubert was unable to attend any meetings due to illness. His untimely death was a sad loss to the Fundraising Committee. On September 28, 1999, City Council appointed Councillor Soknacki to serve on the Committee until November 30, 1999. Councillor Soknacki has expressed a willingness to continue serving as a member of the Fundraising Committee.

Committee also believes that a Council member from another community would be a desirable addition, given the regional significance of the Garden.

(2) Fundraising

Wide ranging discussions have taken place regarding a strategy to solicit donations from the private sector, from the public and from other levels of government. Approximately $6.5 million will be required to produce the first phase of the Garden. At final build-out, the total could reach $13 million. There is a total of $20,034.37 remaining in the Garden's start-up fund. There is also an outstanding direction from the former Scarborough Council to spend up to $20,000 on promotional material for the Garden.

The CCC and the former City of Toronto have had experience in large scale fundraising of the type required for the Garden. The Committee has concluded, however, that any major fundraising for a City facility will be extremely difficult without a substantial financial commitment on the part of the City. Committee is recommending that the City of Toronto commit to matching the first $3.25 million of money raised by the Fundraising Committee for this project. If approved, the Commissioner of Economic Development Culture and Tourism will make provision for a 50 percent contribution in the Department's Capital Budget submission. It is anticipated that fundraising would take from twelve to eighteen months. The City's contribution would, therefore, be budgeted over the years 2001 and 2002.

At its meeting on December 9, 1999, the Budget Advisory Committee considered the Capital Budget. The Committee passed a motion requiring that staff report back with further information on fundraising for the Garden and also on the "kind of support which is needed from the City for the Classical Chinese Garden project". This supplementary report will be considered by the Budget Advisory Committee on January 14, 2000.

Contact:

Robert Stephens

Scarborough Civic Centre

Telephone: (416) 396-7027

Fax: (416) 396-4265

E-mail: stephens@toronto.ca

The Scarborough Community Council reports, for the information of City Council, having received a communication (January 12, 2000) from the City Clerk, advising that the Budget Advisory Committee, at its meeting held on January 12, 2000, had before it the following report (January 4, 2000) from the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism, recommending that the Budget Advisory Committee consider the additional information related to the Chinese Cultural Centre in its decision concerning the FY2000 to FY2004 Parks and Recreation Capital Program; and requesting that the Scarborough Community Council, upon consideration of the Chinese Cultural Centre matter at its meeting of January 18, 2000, and in the event it recommends that the City partake in some form of cost-sharing of this project, identify the source of funds in detail for same, i.e., reserve funds, "in kind" contribution, etc.:

Purpose:

This report provides information to the Budget Advisory Committee as requested at its meeting of December 9 and 10, 1999.

Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

Financial implications for the Chinese Cultural Centre be considered by the Budget Advisory Committee during the FY2000 - FY2004 Capital Budget process. At this time, the entire amount is subject to fundraising by the community with a net cost of zero to the City.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that the Budget Advisory Committee consider the additional information related to the Chinese Cultural Centre in its decision concerning the FY2000 to FY2004 Parks and Recreation Capital Program.

Background:

The Budget Advisory Committee, at its meeting of December 9 and 10, 1999, requested reports:

(i) regarding the fundraising activities for the Chinese Cultural Centre and the types of support required from the City for that project; and

(ii) the number of recreation or community centres built over the past ten years and their associated costs.

Comments:

Chinese Cultural Centre

With regard to fundraising activities for the Chinese Cultural Centre, the Chinese Classical Garden is an integral component of the Scarborough Community Complex, located on the southeast corner of Sheppard Avenue East and Progress Avenue. The first buildings, Burrows Hall Community Centre and Library, and the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto, opened in 1998.

The City of Toronto will build the Garden with design and development input from the Chinese Cultural Centre. This arrangement was formalized by an Agreement executed between the former municipality of Scarborough and the Cultural Centre. The capital costs of developing the Garden are to be raised by a fundraising committee, comprised of City Councillors and representatives of the Chinese Cultural Centre which was approved by Council at its meeting of February 2, 3 and 4, 1999 (Scarborough Community Council Report 1, Clause 10). The City of Toronto will own and operate the Garden.

The Fundraising Committee has concluded that raising the $6.5 million required for the first phase of the Garden would be extremely difficult without a substantial financial commitment from the City. A progress report from the Fundraising Committee is being prepared for consideration at the January 18, 2000, Scarborough Community Council meeting. The Fundraising Committee is seeking approval, in principle, that the City make a matching contribution to the Garden's capital cost.

The $6.5 million gross capital cost for the Chinese Classical Garden Project is included in the FY2001 and FY2002 Parks and Recreation Capital Program, with $2.75 million in FY2001 and $3.75 million in FY2002. At this time, the entire amount is subject to fundraising by the community with a net cost of zero to the City.

Number of Recreation/Community Centres Built over the Last Ten Years

With regard to the number of new recreation or community centres built in the last ten years and their associated costs, in total, there were sixteen (16) facilities built for a total construction cost of $71,210,000.00. In East York - 1 @ $1,560,000.00; in Etobicoke - 2 @ $4,700,000.00; in North York - 3 @ $8,270,000.00; in Scarborough - 7 @ $20,360,000.00; in Toronto - 3 @ $36,320,000.00, and none in York.

It should be further noted that this data reflects only the newly built recreation or community centres and not the many other renovations, additions or retrofits that have taken place over the last ten years.

Contact:

Frank Kershaw

Director of Policy & Development

Telephone: 392-8199

Facsimile: 395-0278

e-mail: fkershaw@mta1.metrodesk.metrotor.on.ca