Item - 2021.GL25.10

The General Government and Licensing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, or their designate, to continue negotiations to acquire a permanent easement interest in part of the property municipally known as 21 Quebec Avenue, as set out in Appendix A to the report (August 31, 2021) from the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management and illustrated as Part 1 on the draft reference plan attached as Appendix B (the "Project Requirement") to the report (August 31, 2021) from the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, and authorize the initiation of expropriation proceedings for the Project Requirement, for the purposes of realigning an existing sewer to facilitate the construction of elevators at Toronto Transit Commission High Park Subway Station.

2. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, or their designate, to serve and publish the Notices of Application for Approval to Expropriate the Project Requirement, to forward to the Ontario Land Tribunal any requests for inquiries received, to attend the hearing(s) to present the City of Toronto's position, and to report the Inquiry Officer's recommendations to City Council for its consideration.

This report seeks authority to initiate expropriation proceedings for a permanent easement interest in part of the property municipally known as 21 Quebec Avenue for the purposes of the realignment of an existing sewer to facilitate the construction of two elevators at Toronto Transit Commission High Park Subway Station (the "Station") as part of the Easier Access Phase Three project (the "Project").

This is Stage 1 of the expropriation process. Should City Council adopt the recommendations in this report, City staff may serve and publish the Notice of Application for Approval to Expropriate on each registered owner. Owners, as defined in the Expropriations Act (the "Act"), will have 30 days to request a hearing into whether the City's proposed taking is fair, sound and reasonably necessary.

City staff may report back to City Council with a Stage 2 report, providing details on property values and other costs, and if a hearing is requested, the report of the Ontario Land Tribunal. The proposed expropriation would only be effected, after adoption by City Council, as approving authority, of the Stage 2 report, by registration of an expropriation plan, which would then be followed by the service of notices as required by the Act.

Before the City can take possession of the expropriated property, offers of compensation based on appraisal reports must be served on each registered owner.