Item - 2025.GG23.25

The General Government Committee recommends that: 

1. City Council authorize the City to enter into an agreement of purchase and sale for the fee simple acquisition of the property address identified in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (June 27, 2025) from the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, substantially on the terms and conditions set out in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (June 27, 2025) from the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, and on such other terms and conditions that are acceptable to the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, in consultation with the City Librarian, Toronto Public Library, and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

2. City Council amend the 2025-2034 Capital Budget and Plan for Toronto Public Library by accelerating cashflow funding in 2025 and 2026 by the amount set out in the Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (June 27, 2025) from the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, offset by reducing cashflow funding, with no debt impact, from years 2027-2031 to the 2025 Capital Budget within the St. Lawrence Relocation and Expansion project (Cost Centre: CLB232-02) to support planned expenditures, including the acquisition of the property identified in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (June 27, 2025) from the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management.

3. City Council authorize the public release of Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (June 27, 2025) from the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management following the closing of any purchase transaction.

4. City Council forward the Item and Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (June 27, 2025) from the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management to the Toronto Public Library Board for their information.

The purpose of this report is to seek City Council authority for the City to enter into an agreement of purchase and sale for the fee simple acquisition of the property identified in Confidential Attachment 1 (the "Property") for the purposes of relocating the Toronto Public Library’s St. Lawrence Branch, as approved by the Toronto Public Library Board in December 2024.

Toronto Public Library, in collaboration with CreateTO and the City’s Corporate Real Estate Management Division, identified the Property as a potential new site for the St. Lawrence Branch. The Property is privately owned and currently for sale. This new location for the St. Lawrence Branch will deliver a new, long overdue and much-needed larger district library to the community. Compared to the previously considered site at 125 The Esplanade, relocating the St. Lawrence Branch to the newly identified Property presents advantages in terms of cost savings, project timelines, and service delivery.

Toronto Public Library’s Information Technology Department, currently operating out of the City-owned property located at 120 Martin Ross Avenue, will also be relocated to this new site allowing the 120 Martin Ross Avenue property to be repurposed by the City to address other critical municipal uses.

Confidential Attachment 1 to this report identifies the major terms and conditions of the agreement of purchase and sale for the acquisition of the Property negotiated by staff and associated financial implications.