Item - 2020.TE18.42

The Toronto and East York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council adopt the Exhibition Place Master Plan Phase 1 Proposals Report, attached as Attachment 1 to the report (August 24, 2020) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District.

 
2. City Council direct the Board of Governors of Exhibition Place to advance the next phase of the Master Plan study according to the directions of the Phase 1 Proposals Report, as endorsed by the Board of Governors of Exhibition Place at its meeting of June 24, 2020, and identify next steps and future study phases required to advance and refine the proposed directions in order to complete the Master Plan process in consultation with the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, including funding mechanisms for recommended technical reports and studies, phasing and implementation strategies, as described in Attachment 3 to the report (August 24, 2020) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District.

 
3. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture and other City Divisions and agencies as needed, to work with Exhibition Place as needed to advance the Exhibition Place Master Plan, including: design development, funding and implementation strategies for "quick start" initiatives that can be implemented in the short term, as described in the report (August 24, 2020) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District and the Phase 1 Proposals Report;

 
4. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to:

a.  report to the Board of Governors of Exhibition Place, when appropriate, identifying any necessary amendments to the Official Plan that may be required to implement the recommended Master Plan; and

 
b.  undertake public consultation and make recommendations to City Council for any necessary amendments to the Official Plan to implement the recommended Master Plan;

 
5. City Council rely on the findings of the Phase 1 Proposals Report to:

a.  inform future conversations with the Province regarding the joint revitalization of Ontario Place and Exhibition Place; and

 
b.  inform future consultation with Metrolinx regarding the Ontario Line.

6. City Council direct the City Manager to work with Exhibition Place to explore opportunities for the grounds to contribute to the COVID-19 recovery and rebuild effort, such as ShowLoveTO and ActiveTO.

Exhibition Place is one of the City’s great waterfront assets. It has a long history as a unique, multi-functional gathering place for Toronto’s residents, visitors and business communities, home to special events, meetings, exhibitions, conventions, recreation and long-held traditions. A focus of economic activity amid a valuable oasis of open space near the downtown, Exhibition Place nonetheless finds itself disconnected from Lake Ontario, the parks and open space system, and surrounding neighbourhoods.

At the request of City Council, and pursuant to the Exhibition Place 2017-2019 Strategic Plan, City Planning staff undertook a Master Plan study for Exhibition Place, launched in June 2019 with its first phase concluding in March 2020.  This report describes the outcomes from the first phase of the Master Plan exercise, including a Proposals Report comprising a recommended Vision, Guiding Principles, emerging strategies and draft Structure Plan to support and enhance the continued success of Exhibition Place.  This report also provides a summary of public and stakeholder engagement activities and feedback received throughout the first phase of the study. City staff appeared before the Board of Governors at regular intervals to present status updates and emerging Master Plan strategies, culminating in the confirmation of the Board’s support for the Phase 1 Proposals report at its meeting of June 24, 2020.

The Phase 1 Proposals Report (see Attachment 1) outlines a vision to affirm Exhibition Place as Toronto’s preeminent gathering place, where visitors from near and far can experience spaces for relaxation, entertainment and exhibition. These spaces will be bound together with a cohesive public realm network both within the site and connecting to the surrounding city. In serving as a gathering place, Exhibition Place will embrace and balance its diverse roles as a centre for innovation, inspiration and economic development, a historic place, and a place of entertainment and recreation, and a green destination.

The public and stakeholder consultation identified a number of issues that need to be addressed, including:

Parking.  Parking emerged as a key focus area through Phase 1 public and stakeholder consultation, particularly from major shows and exhibitors. The existing surface parking lots support activity at Exhibition Place and also provide an opportunity through more flexible use for hardscaped plaza spaces that can accommodate a variety of uses while enhancing the public realm. The adaptability of these spaces would allow Exhibition Place to move nimbly to respond to evolving opportunities.

 
Transit Service.  Transit service to Exhibition Place, to provide a convenient alternative means of travel to the grounds that enhances the visitor experience. Given the barriers posed by the Gardiner Expressway, rail corridor and Lake Shore Boulevard West, transit will be critical to moving greater numbers of people to and from the site, as well as addressing vehicular traffic and climate change. This report promotes leveraging investments in transit service and access, optimization of parking and staging areas, and exploration of alternative transportation technologies to allow for enhanced mobility and public realm improvement opportunities to be realized over the long term.

 
Integration of Ontario Place with the Surrounding Area.  The proposed strategies, as outlined in the attached Proposals Report, will better integrate Exhibition Place with surrounding neighbourhoods, parks and open spaces, and Ontario Place; improve transit accessibility and connectivity to and through the site; conserve and rehabilitate the site's heritage features in accordance with the Cultural Heritage Landscape Assessment; and develop a holistic approach to public realm improvements at Exhibition Place to benefit all visitors from Toronto and beyond. These strategies provide a long-term framework to consider future improvement opportunities, including most recently the revitalization of Ontario Place, as they arise over time. The Provincial government’s announcement seeking proposals to revitalize the adjacent Ontario Place brings an opportunity to position Exhibition Place as part of a dynamic lakefront precinct, with improved connectivity and public realm improvements to maximize the use of the grounds. The development of a Master Plan is intended to provide a framework that articulates physical planning priorities to guide future decision-making.

Since the substantive completion of the Phase 1 Proposals Report in March 2020, the world has faced the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting economic uncertainty. Exhibition Place has seen the cancellation of numerous events at its various venues since mid-March, and staff advise they have proactively initiated discussions with the Toronto Office of Recovery and Rebuild regarding innovative strategies toward reopening the site. In this context, the Master Plan Proposals Report offers a first step toward a physical framework to support economic recovery, guiding the restoration of publicly accessible open spaces, and promoting flexibility and resilience in the use of civic assets. It also proposes a number of “quick start” actions that can be implemented in the short term to enhance mobility and connectivity to Exhibition Place as it begins to restore activity.

This report represents the professional advice of City Planning staff following an eight-month study phase that included robust consultation with stakeholders, Exhibition Place staff and the Board of Governors, and the public at large; urban design analysis; planning policy review; and development of preliminary ideas for feedback. As the Exhibition Place Board of Governors advances the Master Plan through future phases, a series of technical and feasibility studies, support from City Divisions and agencies, and further consultation are recommended to test and refine the proposed strategies prior to the completion of a final Master Plan for Exhibition Place.