Item - 2026.MM43.80

Councillor Chris Moise, seconded by Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik, recommends that:

1. City Council authorize the General Manager, Parks and Recreation, in consultation with the City Manager, to negotiate and amend the existing Fundraising Agreement and execute any other required agreements with the Friends of Allan Gardens to advance due diligence, design and community engagement activities and enable the Friends of Allan Gardens to lead fundraising activities for the construction and ongoing stewardship of the Greenhouse Link Building, renewed areas of the Allan Gardens Conservatory Building and any associated outdoor spaces, on terms and conditions satisfactory to the General Manager, Parks and Recreation, in a form and content satisfactory to the City Solicitor and in compliance with the Donations to the City of Toronto for Community Benefits Policy.

2. City Council direct the General Manager, Parks and Recreation, in consultation with the City Manager, to support Friends of Allan Gardens in the development and submission of any funding applications to other orders of government or granting organizations related to the Greenhouse Link Building.

3. City Council direct the General Manager, Parks and Recreation to report to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee in the second quarter of 2027 with a project update outlining the design development to date, funding strategy, proposed operating model and project timelines and recommendations related to agreements that enable further development and implementation of the Greenhouse Link Building project.

4. City Council amend the 2026–2035 Capital Budget and Plan for Parks and Recreation under “Allan Gardens Greenhouse Link” with a cost and cash flow of $9,000,000 gross and $0 debt in 2027, fully funded by Section 42 obtained from the following developments, to be utilized for the implementation of the Council-endorsed Allan Gardens Master Plan, “Growing with the City”:

a. 308 Jarvis Street (Source account: XR2213-4201671) in the amount of $3,388,294.67;

b. 319 Jarvis Street (Source account: XR2213-4201672) in the amount of $2,864,683.82; and

c. 250 Church Street (Source account: XR2213-4201741) in the amount of $2,747,021.51

5. City Council direct that the use of City capital funding be prominently recognized in documents and promotional materials, including on any construction hoarding, in consultation with the Ward Councillor, as a requirement of the agreement between the City and the Friends of Allan Gardens.

6. City Council affirm that the Allan Gardens Conservatory including any new expansions will remain free for the public to use in perpetuity, in continuation of the 1864/1888 lease agreement between the City of Toronto and the Toronto Horticultural Society.

Allan Gardens is one of Toronto's oldest and most cherished public spaces. Open to the public since 1860, it is a rare downtown commons that has remained open and accessible to all Torontonians across generations, and holds deep cultural and civic significance for the city. As outlined in the Allan Gardens’ Refresh: A Vision Document for Allan Gardens (2017) and the Growing with the City: An Ecosystem of Initiatives for Allan Gardens (2023), a comprehensive vision has been established to expand and modernize the park's conservatory infrastructure and outdoor garden spaces.

The proposed Greenhouse Link Building, advanced by the Friends of Allan Gardens, would double the conservatory's footprint from its current 16,000 square feet to over 32,000 square feet, positioning it among the largest conservatories in North America. The project has generated significant public and philanthropic support: a community petition has gathered more than 7,000 signatures, and substantial commitments from private philanthropists toward the expansion, contingent on public funding contributions.

This motion directs the dedication of $9 million of locally available funds to further the Allan Gardens Master Plan and the Greenhouse Link Building, in addition to funds allocated through Council Direction in May 2026. Additionally, it directs staff to collaborate with the Friends of Allan Gardens on this transformational project and provide an update report in 2027 regarding the design, funding strategy operating model and any recommended agreements. The Allan Gardens Conservatory will in perpetuity remain free for the public to use.