Item - 2019.GL1.5

The General Government and Licensing Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council pass a By-law pursuant to Section 252 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006, providing authority to:

a.  Enter into a municipal capital facility agreement with the owner of the property, Vivian Reiss Living Limited, which leases 3,417 square feet of space in the property known as 124 Merton Street (the "Leased Premises") to the Toronto Transit Commission used for telecommunications, transit, and transportation systems; and

b.  Exempt the Leased Premises from taxation for municipal and school purposes, with the tax exemption being effective from the latest of (i) the commencement date of the lease, (ii) the date the municipal capital facility agreement is entered into, and (iii) the date the tax exemption By-law is enacted.

2.  City Council direct the City Clerk to give written notice of the By-law to the Minister of Finance, the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, the Toronto District School Board, the Toronto Catholic District School Board, the Conseil scolaire Viamonde, and the Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir.

This report seeks Council's authority for the adoption of the necessary By-law to designate a portion of the property owned by Vivian Reiss Living Limited and occupied by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) at 124 Merton Street as a municipal capital facility (MCF) and to provide an exemption for municipal taxes and education taxes. The MCF agreement will provide an exemption for the space currently occupied by the TTC of approximately 3,417 square feet of space.

The privately-owned space at 124 Merton Street was selected as the TTC's Central Construction Field Office, housing staff that are managing six TTC construction contracts, because it is centrally located within the City of Toronto, is in close proximity to TTC's head office, and because there are no comparable facilities available within either the City’s or the TTC’s owned or leased property portfolios, that meet the TTC's specific needs. On October 18, 2016, the TTC staff report, "Lease of Office Space for Central Construction Office - 124 Merton Street," received concurrence from the TTC Finance and Administration Committee.