Further to my December 2015 update regarding the 640 Lansdowne Ave site, I asked the TTC to provide me with more information to share with the community on past actions taken by the TTC as it relates to this property. I have included this information below. Also included below are public notices and fact sheets that were distributed in 2005/2006 to properties near the 640 Lansdowne Ave site.

Currently, Build Toronto commenced environmental investigations in early December 2015 as part of their due diligence with respect to establishing future development potential of the property. These environmental investigations include the drilling of boreholes, installation of monitoring wells, and soil testing. Once I have more information I will be sharing it with the community. 

Background Information from the TTC

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) holds title to 640 Lansdowne Avenue (north of Paton Road, on the west side of Lansdowne Avenue) which it acquired in 1924 through the amalgamation of three private transit companies to form the TTC. The property is approximately four acres in size. The western portion of the property is designated as an Employment Area.

A garage was constructed on the property in 1920. It was later used by the TTC for storage and maintenance of streetcars, trolley buses, and diesel buses. In 1992, diesel fuel impacts in the soil were identified by the TTC.

The garage was decommissioned in 1995. The garage was subsequently demolished in 2004; the maintenance pits were filled in, but the foundations of the building were left in place. The property is currently vacant land used by the TTC for the storage of track maintenance material, vehicles, and equipment.

In 2002, to prepare the property for sale, the TTC undertook its own environmental investigation. Trichloroethylene (TCE) and its degradation products including Vinyl Chloride, a known carcinogen, were identified in excess of the then Ministry of the Environment (MOE) guidelines in shallow groundwater onsite and offsite on the east and west sides of Lansdowne Avenue. TTC provided notice of these findings to the MOE, the City of Toronto Medical Officer of Health, City of Toronto Works and Emergency Services, Councillor Giambrone and the area MPP and MP. After considerable investigation, the extent of the impact on 640 Lansdowne Avenue was defined and it was concluded that the source of the TCE was 224 Wallace Avenue, formerly owned and occupied by General Electric (GE). The MOE requested that GE Canada undertake an investigation to determine the extent of the subsurface contamination with TCE in this area.

In 2005 and 2006, Toronto Public Health issued notices to the residents and businesses in both the Ward Street/Wallace Avenue and Lansdowne Avenue/Paton Road areas. These notices provided additional detail about the investigations that were being conducted by GE. The notices also included Fact Sheets which provided additional information about TCE and associated health risks. Examples of these notices and Fact Sheets are attached to this Briefing Note.

In 2005, TTC issued a Statement of Claim against GE and Bilnia (the then owner of 224 Wallace Avenue) claiming damages.
TTC’s environmental consultant advised at the time legal action was commenced that the clean-up of 640 Lansdowne Avenue to an appropriate level to allow for redevelopment of the property to its highest and best use would take approximately 5 years with ongoing monitoring. The cost of the TCE clean-up was part of the legal action against GE. The clean-up would involve the following:

• installation of underground up-gradient and down-gradient barriers
• excavation and disposal of impacted soils and soil impacted groundwater
• pumping and treatment of impacted groundwater

TTC subsequently entered into mediation with GE and then into settlement discussions in 2013. A settlement was reached between GE and TTC and agreements entered into the first quarter of 2015.

While TTC remediated the site for hydrocarbon impacts in the area formerly used for fuelling vehicles in 2002, the TCE impacts have not been addressed.

To download the Public Notices and Fact Sheets that were distributed in 2005/2006 please click here.

As many of you are aware, the TTC owned land at 640 Lansdowne Avenue was contaminated by previous industrial uses from the surrounding area. Following a lengthy legal battle between General Electric and the TTC over this contamination, an agreement was finally reached earlier this year.

As a result of my efforts and for the City and TTC to do its due diligence in facilitating the eventual transfer of this land, work is presently underway to complete the environmental testing process on the site to determine the current situation and next steps. This will include a Phase 1 and 2 Environmental Assessment and a Remedial Action Plan. These steps are necessary to ensure that something actually takes place on the land.

I have been informed that this work has started yesterday, meaning that action is taking place after many long years of this site sitting vacant and nothing happening.

This site has also been identified as a potential site for affordable housing through the City's Open Door Program. I would like to caution that everything is still very much in the preliminary stages and I will be updating the community as this issue progresses and the picture becomes clearer. If you would like to read more about the Open Door Program, I encourage you to click here. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact my office at [email protected] or 416-392-7012.

Mayor John Tory today unveiled a new Open Door program to fast track affordable housing across Toronto. He was joined by Toronto’s Housing Advocate Councillor Ana Bailão (Ward 18 Davenport) and Councillor Joe Cressy (Ward 20 Trinity-Spadina).

"We need to do everything we can to build more affordable housing in Toronto, and we need to do it much faster. This action plan will help deliver more affordable housing to people who need it," said Mayor Tory. "As part of this affordable housing action plan, the City will re-double its efforts and say yes to developers who want to work with us and get the job done in half the time.”

The Open Door program to fast track affordable housing brings together critical elements needed to kick-start affordable rental and ownership housing construction: surplus public land designated for new affordable rental and ownership housing; fast-tracked planning approvals through a Gold Star review process; additional City financial incentives and federal/provincial funding.

It also calls on the federal and provincial governments to speed the delivery of affordable housing by releasing surplus public land, making new investments in affordable housing and increasing financial and tax incentives for developers.

The Open Door program to fast track affordable housing includes:

• activating five surplus City sites for the construction of 389 affordable rental and ownership homes
• releasing an inventory of 13 other City sites with affordable housing potential
• encouraging the private sector to build more affordable housing by offering City financial incentives currently limited to non-profit groups
• supporting the creation of 200 affordable ownership homes annually through a development charges deferral initiative, and
• providing a minimum of 500 housing allowances to increase affordability in buildings constructed under Open Door.

City staff will report back in May 2016 on the implementation of these initiatives and how to make the Open Door program permanent.

"Affordable housing is critical to the social and economic health of Torontonians," said Councillor Bailão. "The Open Door program is about a comprehensive approach to stimulating new affordable rental and ownership homes to deliver real results for residents.”

The announcement was made on a property known as Block 36 North, surplus City land zoned for affordable housing that has been vacant for more than 20 years. A request for proposals (RFP) based on Open Door incentives will be issued in early 2016 to select a developer. Funding for the new Block 36 affordable housing site will be obtained partly through a Ward 20 Section 37 agreement under the Planning Act.

"We have a housing crisis in our city, with more than 91,000 families on the waiting list for affordable housing," said Councillor Cressy. "Today's announcement that the Block 36 North site is finally being activated for the construction of 80 new affordable rental homes through the Open Door Program is an important step towards building a more equitable city."

A report outlining the Open Door Program will be considered at the December 9-10 City Council meeting. The report also requests staff to bring forward the implementation plan on a range of Open Door initiatives by May 2016. You can read this report by clicking here. 

At the October 6, 2015 Toronto and East York Community Council meeting, neighbouring Councillor for Ward 19, Mike Layton and I moved a motion to request a review of development on Bloor Street West, between Christie Street and Lansdowne Avenue. 

The ten blocks of Bloor Street West, between Christie Street and Lansdowne Avenue, are unique in the City of Toronto due to the fact that much of the original built form still remains.  Many of these two and three storey buildings were designed and built at the turn of the 20^th century, with further development taking place between the 1920s and 1930s.

The purpose of this City Planning review is to focus on the unique character of the properties along Bloor Street West, between Christie Street and Lansdowne Avenue, and how to effectively plan for new development that will complement the existing built form and heritage attributes. 

The request for this review comes at a time when development pressure is making its way to Bloor Street West, between Christie Street and Lansdowne Avenue.

Toronto and East York Community Council passed our motion and has recommended that:

1.  City Council request the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District to conduct a review of development on Bloor Street West between Lansdowne Avenue and Christie Street, including an inventory of current applications and current development pressure in the area, and to work with the Director, Transportation Services to review potential streetscape improvements on Bloor Street West in the context of current and future development proposals.

2.  City Council request the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District and the Director, Urban Design, City Planning to assess the applicable policy framework in the area and consider developing additional urban design and built form guidelines, including an assessment of heritage resources, to be used to inform the review of current and future development proposals, and to develop an understanding of what defines the character of the street.

3.  City Council request the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District to report to Toronto and East York Community Council in the second quarter of 2016 on the status of this work.

I look forward to this item being discussed and hopefully passed at the next City Council meeting. 

The City of Toronto is conducting a review of the bylaws governing sidewalk cafés and marketing displays on the public right-of-way (sidewalks). The intent of the review is to harmonize the six different bylaws that currently regulate these activities as well as review permit fees.

At the same time, guidelines are being created to inform the design and layout of sidewalk cafés to ensure that cafés and sidewalks are safe and accessible.

A draft bylaw and guidelines have been developed with the help of input from a series of public consultation meetings and surveys that were conducted with stakeholders in 2014. A new bylaw will ensure that consistent standards and permit processes apply across Toronto.

Starting next week, the City is holding five information sessions to obtain input on the direction of the draft bylaw and guidelines. The session on Monday, September 21 is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. All other sessions will run from 6 to 8 p.m.

• Monday, September 21: Metro Hall (Room 314)
• Tuesday, September 29: Etobicoke Civic Centre (Main Boardroom)
• Wednesday, October 7: East York Civic Centre (Council Chamber)
• Wednesday, October 14: North York Civic Centre (Committee Room 1)
• Thursday, October 15: Scarborough Civic Centre (Committee Room 1)

Background information about the review can be found at http://www.toronto.ca/mlshaveyoursay.

Like many of you, I recently found out about the sale of the Galleria Mall property, located at the south-west corner of Dufferin Street and Dupont Street.

Over the past few years, many companies have been interested in purchasing the property but none have followed through until now.

In 2004, City Council granted approval for a proposed development consisting of a phased mixed-use commercial residential development containing 1,600 residential units in 6 buildings between 6 and 19 storeys in height as well as a block of twenty, 3 ½ story stacked townhouses on the site. More details can be found in this staff report.

If the developer would like to make any zoning changes to the approved plan, community consultation will be required.

Toronto's Official Plan also references the Galleria Mall lands in Official Plan Policy 213.

I have requested a meeting with who we believe to be the new property owners to find out what their plans are for the property. I will be updating the community once I have more information.

If you would like to receive direct updates on this issue or if you have any questions, please contact my office.

Statement from members of the GTA Housing Action Lab

City of Toronto “Open Door” program will build more affordable housing in Toronto

April 29, 2015 – Members of the GTA Housing Action Lab released the following statement today:

This week the City of Toronto announced a new ‘Open Door’ housing policy to support the construction of new affordable rental units. This $20 million fund is an important step towards changing the trajectory and building the affordable housing our city needs.

We strongly support Mayor Tory’s and Councilor Bailão’s announcement. The creation of this program will enable the City to work more effectively with the private and not-for-profit sectors to deliver the affordable rental housing we need.

While Toronto has built a huge number of new housing units in the last decade, the cost of housing has become increasingly unaffordable. 1 in 5 households live in housing that is too small, in need of repairs, or that costs more than 30% of their income. But it doesn’t have to be this way. There are solutions, like this program, and it’s vital that we take action now.

We look forward to working with the City of Toronto and the development community as they work to implement the Open Door program. We also encourage the province to look at how this could scale across Ontario. small, in need of repairs, or that costs more than 30% of their income. But it doesn’t have to be this way. There are solutions, like this program, and it’s vital that we take action now.

We look forward to working with the City of Toronto and the development community as they work to implement the Open Door program. We also encourage the province to look at how this could scale across Ontario.

Signed by:
Alan Broadbent, Chairman and CEO, Avana Capital Corporation, Chairman and Founder, Maytree
John Brodhead, Executive Director, Evergreen CityWorks
Daryl Chong, President & CEO, Greater Toronto Apartment Association
Anne Golden, Co-Director, City Building Institute, Ryerson University
Sharad Kerur, Executive Director, Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association
Sevaun Palvetzian, CEO, CivicAction
Graeme Stewart, ERA Architects, Co-Founder, Centre for Urban Growth and Renewal 
Bryan Tuckey, President and CEO, BILD
Ene Underwood, CEO, Habitat for Humanity GTA
Joe Vaccaro, CEO, Ontario Home Builders’ Association

The above organizations are all members of the GTA Housing Action Lab, a cross-sector collaboration working to deliver scalable solutions to the issues of housing affordability and sustainability. More information can be found at www.gtahousingactionlab.ca. 

The statement appears in its original form on Evergreen's website - http://www.evergreen.ca/en/blog/entry/statement-from-members-of-the-gta-housing-action-lab

Mayor John Tory today unveiled the City of Toronto's Open Door initiative designed to encourage private and non-profit developers to build affordable rental and ownership housing. 

"The Open Door Initiative is the City saying 'yes' to developers who want to work with us,” Mayor Tory said. "We’re going to streamline the process and cut red tape for developers who want to do business with the City so we can build much needed affordable housing quicker.” 

The Open Door approach would include measures to: 
• unlock opportunities on private, public and non-profit land 
• fast-track the planning-approval process 
• expand City financial incentives to reduce construction costs, and 
• challenge provincial and federal governments and private and non-profit developers to scale up their efforts. 

Specific proposals under these four themes will be developed by interdivisional staff this year following Council consideration of Open Door. 

"Toronto is a city of opportunity and that includes the opportunity to rent or own an affordable home," said City Housing Advocate Councillor Ana Bailão (Ward 18 Davenport). "This package will make it easier to provide new affordable housing for residents." 

Mayor Tory challenged developers to do more to build affordable housing. He also called on the federal and provincial governments to release more government-owned land and commit other resources in Toronto for affordable housing. 

To demonstrate how Open Door will work, the announcement was made at 200 Madison Avenue, a surplus City site in Ward 22. The City will fast-track the issuing of a request for proposals (RFP) in May for applications to build affordable rental housing on the land. 

The approvals process will be accelerated to facilitate a construction start in 2016. Through financial and other incentives, rents will be set below CMHC's average market rent. Residents will be selected from the Housing Connections waiting list. 

[Also read John Tory and Ana Bailão letter to members of the Affordable Housing Committee regarding the Open Door approach]

Media Coverage as of April 28

CP24
'Open Door' initiative will mean 'more affordable housing faster,' Tory says

City News
Tory hopes to get more developers building affordable housing

Global
Mayor Tory announces Open Door initiative to get more affordable housing built in Toronto

Toronto Sun
City to make building affordable housing easier

CBC
John Tory offering developers city land for affordable housing

Globe and Mail
To spur affordable housing, Toronto looks to loosen red tape for developers

Urban Toronto
City of Toronto Cutting Red Tape for Affordable Housing

Metro
Mayor John Tory wants to ‘open doors’ to new affordable housing

Toronto Star
Mayor John Tory wants to "open doors" for new affordable housing

Dear Members of the Affordable Housing Committee,

As you know, Toronto is facing a serious housing crunch as low and moderate-income families and individuals find it harder to find an affordable home to rent or own.

We value our reputation as a welcoming and livable city.  We believe Toronto is a city of opportunity and that includes the opportunity to rent or own an affordable home. To stimulate the creation of affordable housing, we believe we must change the way the City does business with the groups that build it.

Five years ago, City Council set a goal of creating 1,000 affordable rental and 200 affordable ownership homes annually.  The City’s 10-year housing action plan Housing Opportunities Toronto recognizes that by 2020 we require 10,000 additional affordable rental and 2,000 affordable ownership homes to keep pace with growth and demand 

Progress in meeting our goals was made during the past five years with some 2,792 new affordable rental and 750 new affordable ownership homes being completed.  But we are falling behind.  While there is some new affordable housing under construction and in the pipeline, there is still a significant potential shortfall.

The extension of the federal/provincial Investment in Affordable Housing program to 2020 will help provide housing allowances to very low- income families and individuals in need and spur some new affordable and ownership housing – but much more must be done.

The City has supported the creation of affordable rental and ownership housing through policies and programs such as exemptions from development charges, building permit fees, planning application fees and property taxes for non-profit, affordable rental housing.

Since inception, the Development Charges reserve fund has raised $56 million for new affordable housing, and the city has extended to the private sector exemptions from development charges and property taxes for affordable rental housing.

Still, at the current pace, by 2020 the City will significantly under- achieve our affordable housing objectives by an estimated 6,810 rental and 734 ownership homes. It is clear the City must refocus its efforts if it is to meet the 10-year affordable housing targets.

In working with our private and non-profit housing partners, it has become apparent that we can do a better job by adopting an “Open Door” approach to the business of affordable housing.

We can do better by addressing key factors that reduce the cost of doing business and thereby increase affordability.  An “Open Door” approach would include:

• Unlock opportunities on private, public and non-profit land including working with Build Toronto, Parking Authority and Toronto Community Housing

• Fast-track the planning-approval process

• Expand City financial incentives to reduce construction costs

• Challenge provincial and federal governments and private and non-profit developers to scale up their efforts.

To move forward with the “Open Door” approach, we are recommending the Executive Committee approve the following actions.

Recommendations:

Mayor Tory and Councillor Bailão recommend that:

1. The Executive Committee direct the Director, Affordable Housing Office, in co-ordination with City Planning, and in consultation with Finance and other relevant Divisions and Agencies, to co-ordinate a staff report to the Executive Committee through the Affordable Housing Committee on the development of an “Open Door” program. The program is to be comprised of land, planning and financial actions aimed at enhancing the City's ability to deliver affordable housing and achieve its approved housing targets, to include:

• Reporting on options for activating quick-start housing developments through the investment of $20 million from the Development Charges Reserve Fund for Subsidized Housing and seeking cost-sharing partnerships with the federal and provincial governments and private and non-profit developers.
• Improving the City’s approach to its surplus lands suitable for housing, including opportunities to reduce the cost of land through providing long-term leases to private and non-profit groups.
• Finding opportunities with the development industry to pilot six-story wood construction buildings for affordable housing.
• Developing a “gold star” fast-track planning approval process for affordable ownership, affordable rental and mid-range rental applications.
• Considering reduced parking standards on a site-specific basis for private and non-profit affordable rental housing well-served by public transit.
• Encouraging city staff and City Councillors to increase efforts in all wards to prioritize the voluntary use of Section 37 contributions for affordable housing.
• Expanding policies and procedures for the discount, exemption and waiver or deferral of City development charges, planning and building permit fees and property taxes for affordable rental housing.
• Establishing criteria for grants and loans from the Development Charges Reserve Fund for Subsidized Housing.
• Enhancing City efforts to encourage purpose-built, mid-range rental housing (up to 150% of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation average market rent), and leveraging these opportunities to secure a portion of these buildings as affordable rental housing (at CMHC average market rent or less), resulting in buildings with a mix of rent levels.
• Reviewing opportunities to increase affordability of new rental homes through income support programs such as housing allowances, rent supplements and provincial income supports and through a centralized, coordinated housing registry.
• Securing additional provincial and federal government funding and/or legislative changes that would support the creation of long-term affordable rental and ownership housing in the City.

2. The Executive Committee direct the Director, Affordable Housing Office, in consultation with City Planning, Finance and other appropriate Divisions to co-ordinate an inter-divisional targeted consultation with external housing stakeholders to inform the report and recommendations to be submitted to the Affordable Housing and Executive Committees resulting from this request.

3. The Executive Committee direct the Director, Affordable Housing Office, in conjunction with the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, and in consultation with Finance and other Divisions, to submit a report to the Affordable Housing Committee, Executive Committee and City Council in November and December of this year on the results of the work arising from this report, with policy and program recommendations, including options for immediate implementation.

Sincerely,        

John Tory                                                                         Ana Bailão
Mayor                                                                              City Councillor, Ward 18
City of Toronto                                                                

[Also read Media Release and coverage from Open Door announcement on April 27th]

Located on the west side of Dufferin Street and bounded by the rail corridor on the west and Florence Street on the north, the "Dufferin Triangle" has a long history of being the home for a variety of economic activities.

Although, the nature of employment in the area has changed over the years, City Council has reaffirmed the important contribution the Triangle continues to make to the City's economy by preserving the lands for employment uses during the recently completed Municipal Comprehensive Review.

However, with the elimination of the Dufferin Jog, increasing intensification and development along Queen Street West and the submission of the development proposal at 440 Dufferin Street, there is growing interest in the Triangle lands for potential reinvestment. Recognizing the importance of the lands to the local community, we are working to ensure the public's interest by proactively planning the triangle to ensure we have a plan in advance of any further redevelopment proposals.

For these reasons, I put forward an important motion to direct City Planning to identify locations for public parks and public roads, to protect employment uses, to look at the location, massing and orientation of buildings, as well as strategies to buffer a transition to lower scale residential uses in the area and rail mitigation measures. I look forward to bringing a series of planning consultations to our community in the near future and ensuring our neighbourhood is prepared for potential area development.