Item - 2012.MM24.13

City Council on June 6, 7 and 8, 2012, adopted the following:

1.         City Council direct the City Manager and the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture to obtain input from the provincial and federal governments and key relevant agencies and boards and submit two separate reports to the Economic Development Committee at its March 2013 meeting on the pros and cons of creating a bid to host World Expo 2025 and/or the 2024 Olympic Games in Toronto, such report to specifically include comment on the following:

a.         the Bureau of International Exhibitions (BIE) bid process;

b.         an explanation of the current provincial and federal process to select a location to host World Expo 2025 in the Greater Toronto Area;

c.         any information with respect to any competing city-regions and nations;

d.         the approximate number and types of jobs, including approximate income levels, that can be created by World Expo 2025, including:

i.          creative sector jobs;

ii.          service sector jobs;

iii.         construction jobs;

iv.         manufacturing jobs;

v.         temporary jobs;

vi.         contract jobs; and

vii.        permanent jobs;

e.         the approximate amount of revenue the City could receive as a result of World Expo 2025, operating in Toronto, by:

i.          changes in property tax assessments on the World Expo site and associated businesses/properties;

ii.          rent, lease or other income from city-owned lands if used for World Expo;

iii.         equity returns if city lands are used as an equity contribution to a private project;

iv.         economic returns to the federal, provincial and municipal treasuries; and

v.         other revenue opportunities, including those that may be negotiated with the provincial and federal governments,  including funding to repair and maintain Toronto Community Housing Corporation buildings, to support social programs and to expand and maintain public transit;

f.          identification of potential city-owned lands suitable for a World Expo site;

g.         alternative and multiple ways to maximize Toronto's potential revenues and legacy projects arising from a World Expo;

h.         the impact of a World Expo on Toronto's ability to attract tourists and convention/conference business;

i.          the legacy World Expo would have for Toronto, Ontario and Canada, including the impact on:

i.           trade and investment;

ii.          the environment and environmental sustainability;

iii.         transit and transportation;

iv.         major infrastructure;

v.         economic development;

vi.         arts and culture;

vii.        communities and urban planning;

viii.       research, high-tech and innovation;

ix.         new affordable housing, social and community improvements;

x.         waterfront redevelopment;

xi.         expansion of Toronto's tourism base by marketing the city abroad; and

xii.        showing our diversity, citizenship, multiculturalism and inclusion to the world;

j.          land use, physical planning, infrastructure (including transportation) and other matters associated a World Expo site within the City;

k.         how to create a World Expo incorporating the broad principles of innovation, social responsibility, environmental sustainability and advanced technology that will be planned and executed on-time and on-budget featuring extensive civil society participation; and

l.          the history of past decisions of City Council, lessons learned and/or public consultation with regard to prior World Expo bid attempts and the current relevance of those decisions/consultations, and an appropriate process for additional public consultations.