Item - 2026.EC27.6

The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that:  

1. City Council direct that Revised Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (April 8, 2026) from the Executive Director, Social Development and the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management and the General Manager, Parks and Recreation remain confidential at this time as it relates to a proposed or pending acquisition of a property by the City and a plan to be applied to negotiations carried on by the City.

2. City Council authorize the public release of Revised Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (April 8, 2026) from the Executive Director, Social Development and the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management and the General Manager, Parks and Recreation following the closing of any real estate transactions. 

3. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, in consultation with the Executive Director, Social Development, to negotiate and enter into an agreement of purchase and sale, and such related and ancillary agreements as may be required or desirable to complete the acquisition of the property identified in Revised Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (April 8, 2026) from the Executive Director, Social Development, the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, and the General Manager, Parks and Recreation, (the “Property”), on such terms and conditions as are acceptable to the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

4. City Council direct the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management to include any necessary capital funding requirements to complete all renovations, fit-out and finishing required to operationalize the Property in a future Corporate Real Estate Management’s capital budget submission.

5. City Council authorize the City Manager, in consultation with the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, to take all necessary actions to secure and accept third-party funding, including entering into any required agreements with a provincial contributor for the transfer of funds in the amount listed in Revised Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (April 8, 2026) from the Executive Director, Social Development, the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, and the General Manager, Parks and Recreation, to be contributed to the City for capital projects in Ward 14 (Toronto–Danforth), through negotiations undertaken pursuant to City Council direction on a cost-sharing funding contribution agreement in 2025.TE19.28.

6. City Council authorize the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, subject to the confirmation and receipt of third-party funding noted in Recommendation 5 above, to create a new capital project with a total acquisition cost in the amount listed in Revised Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (April 8, 2026) from the Executive Director, Social Development, the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, and the General Manager, Parks and Recreation, fully funded by the amount listed in Revised Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (April 8, 2026) from the Executive Director, Social Development, the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, and the General Manager, Parks and Recreation from a provincial contributor and report to City Council with any adjustments to Parks and Recreation’s 2026–2035 Capital Budget and Plan, in order to proceed with the acquisition of the Property, including the reallocation of the remaining funding amount listed in Revised Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (April 8, 2026) from the Executive Director, Social Development, the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, and the General Manager, Parks and Recreation.

The City of Toronto operates ten community centres, known as Association of Community Centres (AOCCs), managed by volunteer Boards of Management appointed by City Council. These multi-purpose facilities serve as catalysts for neighbourhood transformation—providing inclusive spaces that strengthen civic engagement, build local leadership capacity, and advance equity-focused outcomes. All Board-approved programming is carried out by AOCC staff, who operate as City employees within the AOCC Relationship Framework, ensuring operational accountability and alignment with City standards. The City Council adopted AOCC Expansion Framework and Implementation Strategy affirm the AOCC model as essential community development infrastructure that advances equity, social cohesion, and neighbourhood resilience.

Applegrove Community Complex (“Applegrove”) became an AOCC in 1983 and is one of two AOCCs located in leased premises, occupying 7,911 square feet at the Toronto District School Board’s (TDSB) Duke of Connaught Public School, which serves as its primary program and administrative location. Facility constraints were first documented in 1988 by the City‑appointed Applegrove Relocation Task Force, which concluded that the existing space could not meet program or service requirements, and a purpose‑built City‑owned facility was required. Sustained capital funding pressures, combined with limited suitable real estate opportunities, have constrained progress toward securing a relocation facility.

This report responds to City Council direction (2026.CC38.1), and evaluates multiple relocation options for Applegrove, each assessed for program fit, facility adequacy, capital and operating cost implications, and implementation feasibility. The facility scenarios currently under consideration include:

1.  Maintain operations at the existing TDSB-leased facility at 60 Woodfield Road;

2.  Relocate or expand S.H. Armstrong Community Recreation Centre at 56 Woodfield Road, as a hybrid ‘Integrated Facility’ with a global operating budget;

3.  Acquire and fit-up a privately owned building in the Greenwood‑Coxwell area; or

4.  Incorporate Applegrove within the mixed‑use Toronto Builds development at 1631 Queen Street East.

While several relocation options may be viable under varying future conditions, the analysis identifies that the acquisition and fit-up of a privately owned facility in the Greenwood–Coxwell area presents the strongest potential alignment with long‑term programmatic and operational requirements, contingent upon the availability of new capital funding. Additional site‑specific and financial details associated with this option are outlined in Confidential Attachment 1.

The AOCC portfolio faces significant state of good repair obligations, as well as expansion and relocation pressures. The City Council-directed (EC24.2) AOCC Facilities and Operations Plan will build upon and operationalize the AOCC Implementation Strategy by establishing a prioritized, citywide, multi‑year framework to support the long‑term sustainability and strategic growth of the AOCC portfolio. Through this Plan, Social Development and Corporate Real Estate Management will consider facility renewal and capital improvement needs across all AOCC locations, with reinvestment decisions aligned with lifecycle asset‑management principles and for consideration through the City's Budget process.

The Executive Director, Social Development, Executive Director, the Corporate Real Estatement Management and the General Manager, Parks and Recreation will be submitting a report to evaluate relocation options for Applegrove Community Complex, as directed by City Council (2026.CC38.1), to the Economic and Community Development Committee before its meeting on April 9, 2026.

The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that:  

1. City Council direct that Revised Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (April 8, 2026) from the Executive Director, Social Development and the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management and the General Manager, Parks and Recreation remain confidential at this time as it relates to a proposed or pending acquisition of a property by the City and a plan to be applied to negotiations carried on by the City.

2. City Council authorize the public release of Revised Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (April 8, 2026) from the Executive Director, Social Development and the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management and the General Manager, Parks and Recreation following the closing of any real estate transactions. 

3. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, in consultation with the Executive Director, Social Development, to negotiate and enter into an agreement of purchase and sale, and such related and ancillary agreements as may be required or desirable to complete the acquisition of the property identified in Revised Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (April 8, 2026) from the Executive Director, Social Development, the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, and the General Manager, Parks and Recreation, (the “Property”), on such terms and conditions as are acceptable to the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

4. City Council direct the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management to include any necessary capital funding requirements to complete all renovations, fit-out and finishing required to operationalize the Property in a future Corporate Real Estate Management’s capital budget submission.

5. City Council authorize the City Manager, in consultation with the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, to take all necessary actions to secure and accept third-party funding, including entering into any required agreements with a provincial contributor for the transfer of funds in the amount listed in Revised Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (April 8, 2026) from the Executive Director, Social Development, the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, and the General Manager, Parks and Recreation, to be contributed to the City for capital projects in Ward 14 (Toronto–Danforth), through negotiations undertaken pursuant to City Council direction on a cost-sharing funding contribution agreement in 2025.TE19.28.

6. City Council authorize the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, subject to the confirmation and receipt of third-party funding noted in Recommendation 5 above, to create a new capital project with a total acquisition cost in the amount listed in Revised Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (April 8, 2026) from the Executive Director, Social Development, the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, and the General Manager, Parks and Recreation, fully funded by the amount listed in Revised Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (April 8, 2026) from the Executive Director, Social Development, the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, and the General Manager, Parks and Recreation from a provincial contributor and report to City Council with any adjustments to Parks and Recreation’s 2026–2035 Capital Budget and Plan, in order to proceed with the acquisition of the Property, including the reallocation of the remaining funding amount listed in Revised Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (April 8, 2026) from the Executive Director, Social Development, the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, and the General Manager, Parks and Recreation.

The City of Toronto operates ten community centres, known as Association of Community Centres (AOCCs), managed by volunteer Boards of Management appointed by City Council. These multi-purpose facilities serve as catalysts for neighbourhood transformation—providing inclusive spaces that strengthen civic engagement, build local leadership capacity, and advance equity-focused outcomes. All Board-approved programming is carried out by AOCC staff, who operate as City employees within the AOCC Relationship Framework, ensuring operational accountability and alignment with City standards. The City Council adopted AOCC Expansion Framework and Implementation Strategy affirm the AOCC model as essential community development infrastructure that advances equity, social cohesion, and neighbourhood resilience.

Applegrove Community Complex (“Applegrove”) became an AOCC in 1983 and is one of two AOCCs located in leased premises, occupying 7,911 square feet at the Toronto District School Board’s (TDSB) Duke of Connaught Public School, which serves as its primary program and administrative location. Facility constraints were first documented in 1988 by the City‑appointed Applegrove Relocation Task Force, which concluded that the existing space could not meet program or service requirements, and a purpose‑built City‑owned facility was required. Sustained capital funding pressures, combined with limited suitable real estate opportunities, have constrained progress toward securing a relocation facility.

This report responds to City Council direction (2026.CC38.1), and evaluates multiple relocation options for Applegrove, each assessed for program fit, facility adequacy, capital and operating cost implications, and implementation feasibility. The facility scenarios currently under consideration include:

1.  Maintain operations at the existing TDSB-leased facility at 60 Woodfield Road;

2.  Relocate or expand S.H. Armstrong Community Recreation Centre at 56 Woodfield Road, as a hybrid ‘Integrated Facility’ with a global operating budget;

3.  Acquire and fit-up a privately owned building in the Greenwood‑Coxwell area; or

4.  Incorporate Applegrove within the mixed‑use Toronto Builds development at 1631 Queen Street East.

While several relocation options may be viable under varying future conditions, the analysis identifies that the acquisition and fit-up of a privately owned facility in the Greenwood–Coxwell area presents the strongest potential alignment with long‑term programmatic and operational requirements, contingent upon the availability of new capital funding. Additional site‑specific and financial details associated with this option are outlined in Confidential Attachment 1.

The AOCC portfolio faces significant state of good repair obligations, as well as expansion and relocation pressures. The City Council-directed (EC24.2) AOCC Facilities and Operations Plan will build upon and operationalize the AOCC Implementation Strategy by establishing a prioritized, citywide, multi‑year framework to support the long‑term sustainability and strategic growth of the AOCC portfolio. Through this Plan, Social Development and Corporate Real Estate Management will consider facility renewal and capital improvement needs across all AOCC locations, with reinvestment decisions aligned with lifecycle asset‑management principles and for consideration through the City's Budget process.

The Executive Director, Social Development, Executive Director, the Corporate Real Estatement Management and the General Manager, Parks and Recreation will be submitting a report to evaluate relocation options for Applegrove Community Complex, as directed by City Council (2026.CC38.1), to the Economic and Community Development Committee before its meeting on April 9, 2026.