Item - 2024.NY15.30

North York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council direct the City Manager to assess the use of space at North York Civic Centre and following this review, to explore the potential to create a Strategic Plan by 2025 for the North York Civic Centre, in alignment with the City’s Workplace Modernization Program, that:

a. Addresses local needs including access to low cost, or possibly free community space;

b. Involves the public and North York Community Council;

c. Explores key strategic priorities including economic development and innovation, culture, recreation, not-for-profits, and associated amenities;

d. Consults past work to inform short, medium and long term site and area plans, including the North York at the Centre Secondary Plan Review;

e. Generates revenue to support the ongoing State of Good Repair of the Civic Centre; and

f. Involves and explores conversations with North York Toronto District School Board Trustees to advance this Strategic Plan, as the North York Civic Centre and Toronto District School Board occupy adjacent properties.

With the rapidly growing population of North York and increasing vibrancy and programming at Mel Lastman Square we see a growing need for a community hub to strengthen civic engagement, community connectivity and economic development.

Given the city's workplace modernization efforts with ModernTO, there is a great opportunity to reexamine how North York Civic Centre is used and to create a vision for an active community hub that meets the growing needs of our community. In particular, many not-for-profit organizations have struggled to find space for offices for the provision of services, in addition to programming space. As the city continues to target growth in Urban Growth Centres, these centres need to be better serviced with adequate community space.
This motion envisions a new vision for how North York Civic Centre can be used as an important hub to bring people together in our city.