Objectives and Principles of Office and

Civic Space Consolidation Project

The Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team recommends the adoption of the Recommendations of the Sub-Committee - Relocation of All Members of Council to City Hall, embodied in the following communication (December 3, 1998) from the Interim Contact, Sub-Committee - Relocation of All Members of Council to City Hall:

Recommendations:

The Sub-Committee - Relocation of All Members of Council to City Hall, recommends that:

(1)the principles contained in the report (December 2, 1998) from the Commissioner of Corporate Services be endorsed;

(2)the Sub-Committee - Relocation of All Members of Council to City Hall, report to the Corporate Services Committee, as quickly as possible, on the Phase One and Two Review;

(3)staff be requested to report back to the Sub-Committee - Relocation of All Members of Council to City Hall, as quickly as possible on a review timetable, and process, which shall include all Civic Centres;

(4)the Commissioner of Corporate Services review the Access Points at City Hall and the cost of additional furniture for visitor seating; and

(5)the Commissioner of Corporate Services canvass the Councillors who have received requests for a Citizen's Room; and report back on the status of this process to the Sub-Committee and Corporate Services Committee.

Background:

The Sub-Committee - Relocation of All Members of Council to City Hall, on December 2, 1998, had before it a report (December 2, 1998) from the Commissioner of Corporate Services respecting Objectives and Principles of Office and Civic Space Consolidation Project.

The Sub-Committee's actions are noted above.

(Report dated December 2, 1998) from the

Commissioner of Corporate Services

addressed to the Sub-Committee - Relocation

of All Members of Council to City Hall.)

Purpose:

To highlight the objectives and principles of the City's office and civic space consolidation project and how they relate to Toronto City Hall.

Source of Funds:

N/A.

Recommendation:

It is recommended that this report be received for information.

Council Reference/Background/History:

Councillor Ron Moeser, Chair of the Sub-Committee for the Relocation of All Members of Council to City Hall, requested that I report on the objectives and principles of the City's office and civic space consolidation project currently underway and how they relate to Toronto City Hall.

Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:

The Facilities and Real Estate Division along with an outside consulting firm are currently undertaking a corporate office and civic space consolidation study which includes an assessment of a variety of City of Toronto buildings, including Toronto City Hall, Metro Hall and the five civic centres. The objectives and principles of the project as highlighted below apply to all the buildings being examined.

The project objectives are stated to be:

(a)to consolidate the office and civic space based on the needs of the new organizational structures of the City of Toronto;

(b)to reduce the overall office space inventory to lower operational costs;

(c)to align the use of the office and civic space with City of Toronto service delivery goals;

(d)to update work space strategies to provide improved productivity;

(e)to implement accountability for space utilization at the Department and Divisional level;

(f)to facilitate the transition into an amalgamated City through the use of space; and

(g)to ensure community access with particular reference to individuals with specific accessibility needs.

To achieve the project objectives, the following principles will be embraced:

(a)convenient service delivery to the public is a key tenet of the office and civic space consolidation;

(b)the consolidation will be achieved in an efficient, effective and cost-beneficial manner;

(c)to reduce costs and advance the implementation, a key tenet will be to move people not furniture;

(d)the space consolidation will be achieved with a minimal number of moves for staff;

(e)space and furniture are corporate resources to be managed by the Corporate Services Department in accordance with the City's priorities;

(f)functional space standards will be utilized to meet project objectives;

(g)Departments are accountable for their use of space;

(h)leased space will be rationalized and reduced wherever possible; and

(i)environmental and social objectives will be a key consideration in space planning.

Conclusions:

The objectives and principles highlighted above apply to all the City buildings being studied, including Toronto City Hall, Metro Hall and the five civic centres. I anticipate the consultant's report on the project along with my final report outlining recommendations for space planning at Toronto City Hall, Metro Hall, and the other civic centres will be available for City Council's consideration in early 1999.

Contact Name:

Susanne Borup, Executive Director, Facilities and Real Estate Division, phone 397-4156, fax 397-0825, e-mail SusanneBorup@city.toronto.on.ca.