Item - 2020.GL14.9

The General Government and Licensing Committee recommend that:  

1. City Council authorize a temporary easement agreement between the owner of 500 Birchmount Road and the Toronto Public Library Board, for a period of twenty-four (24) months, in the amount outlined in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (June 19, 2020) from the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, and the City Librarian, and on such other terms as may be satisfactory to the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management and City Librarian, and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

2. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to complete the easement transaction, including the payment of any necessary expenses and amendment of necessary documentation as they deem reasonable.

3. City Council direct that the confidential information contained in the Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (June 19, 2020) from the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, and the City Librarian remain confidential, as it relates to a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the Toronto Public Library Board.

This report requests City Council's approval of a temporary easement agreement between the Toronto Public Library Board and the owner of the property municipally known as 500 Birchmount Road (the "Owner").

The Albert Campbell District Library is located at 496 Birchmount Road and is currently under construction. A temporary easement as part of the property at 500 Birchmount Road is required to permit excavation at the north side of the library building to allow for the installation of new site services including a new weeping tile system and new building cladding. The required easement area is shown as "Part 1" of the Property Sketch in Appendix A.

Construction at the Albert Campbell District Library commenced in the fall of 2019, with contracted exterior work scheduled to begin in May 2020. It is estimated that the required exterior work will take 24 months to complete. To date, the Owner has agreed to the terms of the requested easement, although the City and the Owner have been unable to settle on the applicable easement fee. If the temporary easement is not obtained to enable construction to progress, the Toronto Public Library will incur significant construction costs.