Item - 2022.RA32.7

The Board of Directors of CreateTO:

1. Endorsed the business case for Block 5 (970 Kipling Avenue) of the Bloor-Kipling (Six Points) site, as presented in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (June 3, 2022) from the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO, and subject to further approvals required by the Deputy City Manager, Corporate Services, the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer and the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, directed the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO to:

 a. Determine suitable timing for the release to market of Block 5 (970 Kipling Avenue), of the Bloor-Kipling (Six Points) site;  

 b.  Release to market Block 5 (970 Kipling Avenue), of the Bloor-Kipling (Six Points) site including entering into agreements conditional on approval by relevant City authorities; and

 c.  Retain the services of a fairness monitor to oversee and ensure an open, fair and transparent market offering process.

2.  Adopted the Confidential Instruction to Staff in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (June 3, 2022) from the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO.

3.  Authorized the public release of the information in Confidential Attachments 1 and 2 to the report (June 3, 2022) from the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO at the conclusion of the Housing Now program, and at the discretion of the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO.

The Board of Directors of CreateTO recessed its public session to meet in closed session to consider the item as it pertains to a proposed or pending disposition of land by the Board of Directors of CreateTO and the City.

This report recommends that the CreateTO Board of Directors endorse the business case and market offering for the Phase 1 Housing Now Bloor-Kipling (Six Points) Block 5 site municipally know as 970 Kipling Avenue (“970 Kipling Avenue”).

The Bloor-Kipling (Six Points) site is 17.91 acres (7.25 hectares), and includes seven land parcels, six blocks are located east of Kipling Avenue, one block is located west of Kipling, all blocks are south of Bloor Street, north of the rail corridor and the Kipling Mobility Hub, a significant hub of transit infrastructure investments including the terminus of the Line 2 TTC Subway, Kipling GO Station, and Kipling bus terminal, with TTC and Mississauga MiWay bus service. Within the Bloor-Kipling site, Block 4 is the location of the new Etobicoke Civic Centre (ECC), Block 2 is a future City Park and Blocks 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7, (11.82 acres) are Council approved Housing Now development parcels.

CreateTO, in collaboration with City staff, have worked with the consultant team to prepare a Block Context Plan (BCP) for the site. The BCP establishes the design vision for new streets, parks and open spaces and built form to inform and advance development concepts for the Housing Now Blocks and the phasing or market offerings for affordable housing. 

Upon completion of the BCP, the consultant team prepared the requisite due diligence work in order to advance the City-initiated rezoning for Blocks 1, 2 (City park) and 5 and the marketing process for Block 1 and 5. CreateTO staff worked with City staff, including City Planning, the Housing Secretariat, the local Councillor, and the local community in order to bring forward the development concept appended to this report. 

CreateTO will continue to work with City staff to refine the development concepts for Blocks 3, 6 and 7, examining opportunities for additional density and unit yields within the development context created through the BCP. A rolling implementation plan will see the finalization of massing and density for Blocks 3, 6 and 7 and the advancement of zoning by-laws for the remainder of the blocks in 2023. 

Block 1, a 2.47 acre (1.0 ha) site, located east of the Kipling Avenue, south of the Dundas Street West and north of the rail corridor, was the first block to be considered for the market offering process. On April 14, 2022, the CreateTO Board approved the selection of Proponent for the Proposed Development. 

Block 5, a 1.61 acre (0.65 ha) site, located west of Kipling Avenue, north Dundas Street West is the second block to be considered for the market offering process. The current development statistics for Block 5 are outlined in Table 1.

Table 1: Bloor-Kipling (Six Points), Block 5 Development Statistics

1.  Community services and facilities will be located in Block 4, the location of the ECC

The intent is to bring Block 5 to market in 2022 to the development community through a real estate brokerage. Following the market offering process, CreateTO staff will report to the CreateTO Board on the proponent selection, prior to finalizing the ground lease agreement, project agreement and contribution agreement, collectively the ("Agreements").