Item - 2019.RA5.2

The Board of Directors of CreateTO:

1.  Endorsed the Master Plan as shown in Attachment 4 of the report (May 9, 2019) from the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO, to guide the development of the Danforth Garage Property, provided the development addresses the following:

1.  affordable housing;

2.  Toronto Public Library;

3.  community access to the TTC heritage barns.

2.  Directed the Chief Executive Officer, Create TO to work on the next phase of the project once approved by City Council.

3.  Forwarded its decision to the Executive Committee.

The Director, Development, CreateTO gave a presentation on the Danforth Garage Master Plan Process.

At its meeting of January 31, 2018, Toronto City Council ("Council") approved the preferred site located at 1627 Danforth Ave (the "Property" and the "Danforth Garage") for the consolidation of the current Toronto Police Service (the "TPS") 54 and 55 Police District facility.

Council further directed the Deputy City Manager, Internal Corporate Services and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to convene an interdivisional working group to undertake a Master Plan for the Property, to include community consultations, technical studies, and confirmation of required Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) uses on the Property and the exploration of other potential partners and uses. 

The Property, which contains the Danforth Garage is situated at the southeast corner of Danforth Avenue and Coxwell Avenue. The Property is located within a growth area of the City as identified in the City's Official Plan. A small portion of the existing garage facility is used for the TTCs Danforth Transportation and Stations Division, which will need to remain on the Property. The remainder of the Property contains other TTC functions, including storage and maintenance uses, which will require relocation to an alternative location with any future reuse of the Property. The Property's direct access to transit (Coxwell TTC subway station) presents an opportunity for revitalization and for its redevelopment to catalyze further investment along this portion of Danforth Avenue. 

CreateTO, Real Estate Services and City Planning, in collaboration with TTC, TPS and the Toronto Public Library ("TPL"), have completed the Danforth Garage Master Plan. The Master Plan provides a framework and phasing strategy to guide the redevelopment of the property as a multi-use civic hub while prioritizing design and construction work for the TTC and TPS building programs in the first phase. Phase 2 and 3 allow for consideration of alternative uses and potential public and interim uses for the portion of the Danforth Garage currently used for storage by the TTC.

The complete Danforth Garage Master Plan Study can be found at http://bit.ly/danforth-garage-master-plan and the appendices can be found at http://bit.ly/danforth-garage-appendices.

In order to proceed it will be necessary that the City allocate the pre-development costs required to proceed with a feasibility study for the adaptive reuse of the Danforth Garage facility on an interim and long-term basis; continue market sounding for the development of viable public and private partnerships for the development of Parcels A, B, C and F as shown in Attachment 4 of this report; and that a City initiated Official Plan and rezoning amendment to implement the framework for land uses as contained in this report.