Decisions

The Executive Committee:

1. Received the report (March 31, 2025) from the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services for information.  

This report provides an interim update on the work done since the adoption of the Quayside Business Implementation Plan in 2022 to realize the significant housing objectives in Quayside-Phase 1.

In partnership with Waterfront Toronto (WT), Quayside Impact Limited Partnership (QILP), and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the City has been able to:

- maximize the number of affordable rental homes and prioritize delivery of purpose-built rental homes;

- establish a delivery model that will result in the City retaining the ownership of land where affordable rental homes will be located in perpetuity;

- advance the funding and financing plan for the affordable rental housing component from the City, WT, and CMHC; and

- accelerate timelines to start construction in 2026 and have affordable rental homes reaching completion starting in late 2030.

With the softening of the condo market, the City, QILP, and WT have worked on an accelerated plan to maximize the number of affordable rental homes that can be delivered in the first phase, prioritizing the delivery of purpose-built rental homes on an expedited basis. As the result, it is estimated that approximately 550 affordable rental and 1,267 purpose-built rental homes will be delivered by 2030-31 (final home count dependant on final design). This is an improvement upon the number of affordable rental homes that were identified in the July 2024 re-zoning application, which was 458. 

This report responds to a commitment under the federal Housing Accelerator Fund to provide an update on the delivery plan for the affordable rental homes in Quayside in April 2025.

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, in consultation with the General Manager, Toronto Shelter and Support Services, the General Manager, Senior Services and Long-Term Care, the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, the Executive Director, Housing Development Office, and the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, to proceed with the design and construction of Phase 1 of the George Street Revitalization project based on a City-delivered approach outlined in the report (March 31, 2025) from the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management and within the current approved project budget.

The George Street Revitalization (GSR) project is a signature initiative of the Downtown East Action Plan and is distinguished by its continuum of care model that co-locates and integrates shelter services, a long-term care home, supportive housing with wrap-around services, and a community hub on a single site. The purpose of this report is to outline a path forward to deliver the GSR project in a manner that aligns with the original project vision, responds to the City’s emerging priorities, and adheres to the approved project budget.

In July 2016, City Council authorized staff to proceed with an alternative financing and procurement approach, also known as a Public-Private Partnership (P3) model for the implementation of the GSR project, with Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation (also known as Infrastructure Ontario, or IO) acting as procurement lead. Through 2020 and onwards, the construction sector began to experience significant financial impacts by the volatile increase in construction material costs, global supply chain disruptions, and labour shortages due to COVID-19 pandemic pressures. The same impacts were felt across the City, including the GSR project through the P3 process.

In February 2024, City Council directed staff to explore a City-delivered procurement and implementation model for the GSR project in order to bring the project in compliance with the approved project budget. Through work with City divisions and value engineering, the City can accommodate the delivery of key program elements and preservation of the three existing heritage buildings, two of which are semi-detached, on the Phase 1 site, through a City-led development within the current approved budget. Phase 1 occupies two-thirds of the site and includes the core elements of the GSR project, and Phase 2 occupies the remaining one-third of the site to the south, creating a potential future affordable housing opportunity.

The phased development approach allows the fully funded Phase 1 to proceed independently of Phase 2, which requires further project design and planning studies, due diligence work, as well as funding – ultimately minimizing the risk of delay of Phase 1.

The GSR project will be delivered through a Construction Management approach, an industry standard method which can emphasize certainty on budget prior to the start of construction; and provides further control and accountability to the owner. In this approach, the construction manager can take on the financial risk of completing the project within a set budget.

Pending adoption of the City-delivered approach, staff will proceed with the design services and construction procurement for Phase 1, and report back to the appropriate committee upon the conclusion of the competitive procurement process, estimated to take place by the third quarter of 2025. Phase 1 construction is estimated to start by the fourth quarter of 2026 with occupancy estimated for end of 2029.

To align all GSR related decision-making, two separate heritage and planning reports will be considered by City Council in April 2025 concurrently with this report. This includes a report from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, on the proposed heritage conservation and integration of the three designated heritage properties into the Phase 1 GSR building and a report from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District on the recommended approval of a City-initiated Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment to permit the construction of the Phase 1 GSR building.

As outlined in this report, staff are committed to continued thoughtful community engagement and the Seaton House Transition Plan, ensuring stakeholders receive updates and provide ongoing advisory input to the City of Toronto.

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, the General Manager, Parks and Recreation, the General Manager, Transportation Services and the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, in consultation with all relevant City Divisions, to report back to the Executive Committee in the fourth quarter of 2025 with an update on the five priority actions outlined in the report (March 31, 2025) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, the General Manager, Parks and Recreation, and the General Manager, Transportation Services that seek to increase beauty in the public and private realms and continue to advance design excellence in Toronto.

City Planning, Transportation Services, and Parks and Recreation Divisions have plotted a path forward to achieve improved beautification of the public realm in Toronto. This work was in response to the City Council Member Motion 2024.19.26 - Towards A Beautiful City. The path forward includes 5 Priority Actions:

- Develop an internal governance model for oversight, leadership and coordination with respect to achieving design excellence in the public realm, including parks, public spaces and buildings;

- Undertake an inventory and review of current procurement processes (e.g. Request For Proposals, design competitions) and identify any changes, additional processes, and best practices that should be considered moving forward;

- Develop a "Considerate Construction" guideline to advance best practices for the design and aesthetics of construction setups and take downs on City streets;

- Review City maintenance, service-level and operational practices across impacted divisions to identify opportunities and costs required to improve the quality and care of the public realm; and

- Review and enhance a “Toronto Clean and Beautiful” campaign to raise public awareness, and bring together multiple partners, stakeholders and private landowners in enhancing the public realm.

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council adopt the 2025 tax rates for school purposes, as shown in Column II, which will generate an education tax levy on rateable properties for 2025 in the total amount of $2,189,040,814 in accordance with Ontario Regulation 400/98 as amended, prescribing such rates for the City of Toronto, of which $4,221,673 (0.2 percent of the total education levy) is to be retained by the City pursuant to Ontario Regulation 121/07:

2. City Council adopt reductions in tax decreases for the 2025 taxation year on properties in the commercial, industrial and multi-residential property classes by the percentage of the tax decrease set out in Column II in order to recover the revenues foregone as a result of capping, and to allow the decrease percentages set out in Column III:

3. City Council authorize the introduction of the necessary Bills in Council to give effect to City Council's decision.

In accordance with legislative requirements, City Council must annually adopt the following by-laws associated with property taxes:

- the municipal levy;

- the education levy; and

- the clawback rates.

These by-laws are required to enable the City to issue the final property tax bills for the year, for both municipal and school purposes. Following City Council's adoption of the 2025 municipal property tax rates at its meeting on February 11, 2025, this report sets the education levy and the claw-back rates.

This report recommends adoption of the 2025 education tax rates and education property tax levy for school purposes, as required by legislation. The City of Toronto levies and collects education taxes on behalf of the Province of Ontario, based on the education tax rates set out in Ontario Regulation 400/98, as amended. The education property tax rates prescribed by the Province for 2025 remain unchanged from the previous year for all classes. Accordingly, the average household will see no increase in their education tax this year.

In addition, this report addresses the requirements associated with the clawback rate for properties in the commercial, industrial, and multi-residential property classes. In February 2025, City Council adopted the continued policy of limiting ('capping') allowable tax increases to a maximum of 10% of a property's prior year's annualized taxes for properties in those classes with a property tax bill increase greater than $500. This capping policy protects commercial, industrial, and multi-residential properties from significant annual tax increases.

In order to capture the lost revenue from properties that are capped, the City annually calculates a clawback rate that effectively results in withholding part of a property’s decrease due to reassessment, as applicable. This report recommends the 'clawback percentage', which represents the amount the City will retain from any decreases in property tax bills, to offset the capping policy. As a result, properties that would otherwise see a tax reduction due to reassessment may not receive the full decrease, since a portion is withheld to help offset the revenue lost from capped tax increases on other properties. Given the Province continues to postpone reassessment, the number of properties impacted by this policy is minimal in 2025.

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council amend Municipal Code Chapter 190, Polling and Notification as follows and as outlined in Attachment 1 to the report (March 31, 2025) from the City Clerk:

a. lower the minimum age to vote in a poll from 18 years of age to 16 years of age, with the exception of polls required under Municipal Code Chapter 19, Business Improvement Areas;

b. replace the requirement in Subsection 190-4.C. for an affidavit to be added to the polling list with "proof of ownership or tenancy";

c. add "Spoiled Ballot" to the list of definitions in Subsection 190-1, as drafted in Attachment 1 to the report (March 31, 2025) from the City Clerk;

d. add "Family Day" and "Remembrance Day" to the list of observances in the definition of "Holiday";

e. add Community Council approved policies to the Application of Polling Procedure in Subsection 190-2;

f. remove the requirement in Subsections 190-5.A; 190-6; and 190-8, for the Clerk to "mail" ballots, and instead indicate that ballots will be "provided";

g. amend Subsection 190-7, Accepted Ballots in accordance with the edits in Attachment 1 to the report (March 31, 2025) from the City Clerk;

h. add a new subsection to Subsection 190-8, Minimum response rate and majority regarding spoiled ballots, as drafted in Attachment 1 to the report (March 31, 2025) from the City Clerk; and

i. add "revisions to the polling list" to the confidentiality provisions in Subsection 190-10.

2. City Council direct that the amendments to Municipal Code Chapter 190, Polling and Notification in Recommendation 1 above come into force on November 1, 2025.

3. City Council direct that any poll that is commenced prior to November 1, 2025 but completed after November 1, 2025 be conducted in accordance with the provisions of Municipal Code Chapter 190, Polling and Notification as it existed immediately prior to the amendments coming into force on November 1, 2025.

This report responds to Item 2024.DM23.1, which requests the City Clerk to report on an approach to reducing the minimum age to vote in a neighbourhood poll from 18 to 16.

In addition to lowering the minimum polling age, the City Clerk is proposing additional amendments to Municipal Code, Chapter 190, Polling and Notification to ease participation in the polling process and improve polling administration.

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council receive the report from the Mayor’s Designate to the Sao Paulo Urban Summit and Urban 20 Rio Summit in Attachment 1 to the letter (March 31, 2025) from Councillor Alejandra Bravo for information.

In 2024, I attended the São Paulo Urban Summit in São Paulo, Brazil and U20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as the Mayor’s designate-representing the City of Toronto in these key international engagements for municipalities.

My travel included participation with activities organized by Metropolis, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, and U20, including participation in policy forums, panels, sessions, site visits, and several bilateral meetings.

Attached to this letter, you can find a copy of my report, program for the São Paulo Urban Summit, program for the U20 Summit, and a copy of the final U20 communique for 2024.

The Executive Committee:

1. Appointed Councillor Mike Colle to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Subcommittee, as Chair, for a term of office until November 14, 2026. 

2. Appointed Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik as Vice Chair of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Subcommittee. 

I am writing to formally resign from my position as Chair of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Subcommittee and as a member of the subcommittee, effective immediately.

It has been an honour to contribute to the planning and oversight of Toronto’s role in the FIFA World Cup 2026. This event represents a historic opportunity for our city, and I am proud of the work we have done to prepare for it. However, as my responsibilities as Budget Chief, Chair of the Toronto Police Service Board, and the Mayor’s Economic Development & Culture Champion continue to grow, I have determined that it is in the best interest of both the subcommittee and myself to step away at this time to ensure that I can fully dedicate my efforts to these critical roles.

I remain committed to the success of the tournament and to ensuring that Toronto delivers an unforgettable experience for players, fans, and residents. I am grateful for the dedication and collaboration of my colleagues on the subcommittee, and I wish the team continued success as preparations move forward.

Please let me know how I can assist in ensuring a smooth transition.

The Executive Committee:

1. Requested the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in consultation with the General Manager, Transportation Services, the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, the Chief Executive Officer, Create TO, the President, Toronto Parking Authority, the Chief Strategy and Customer Experience Officer, Toronto Transit Commission and local Business Improvement Areas, to explore the need and opportunities for commuter parking at Sheppard-McCowan Station, and report back on the findings of this review by the second quarter of 2026, including potential strategies to accommodate commuter parking in alignment with broader City and transit planning objectives.

McCowan and Sheppard station will serve as a key transit hub for the area. The Scarborough Subway Extension project being currently built by Metrolinx has a projected growth in ridership by 52,000 new riders and will improve access to transit for an estimated 38,000 people who will be able to walk to transit. However, that estimate also identifies an additional 10,000+ riders who will use other modes of transportation, including cars, to access the transit system. It is thus vital that commuter parking options be considered to help facilitate access to the transit system for the 10,000+ potential transit riders that may require using a car to access the transit system without causing easily anticipated side effects, including on-street parking issues for surrounding commercial and residential properties.

The Executive Committee recommends that:  

1. City Council direct the City Manager and the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, to continue efforts to advance the Mayor's Economic Action Plan in Response to United States Tariffs and report back on implementation progress to City Council in July 2025.

At its meeting on March 26, 2025, City Council adopted the Mayor's Economic Action Plan in Response to US Tariffs, which laid out ten (10) immediate actions the City is taking in response to United States (US) tariffs. The cumulative effect of these tariffs, along with multiple subsequent announcements, threatens to upend global supply chains, shut down auto manufacturing plants in Canada and the US, and reduce the productivity of the global economy with some economists raising the increasing likelihood of a recession in the US, Canada and beyond.

Since the adoption of the Mayor's Economic Action Plan in Response to US Tariffs, staff have been working to implement the actions, monitor the evolving US trade situation, and continue to work with the Mayor's Economic Action Team on the next phase of City actions. Notably, American trade policy and related Executive Orders from the White House continue to evolve rapidly, and this report outlines the situation at the time of writing. City staff are committed to monitoring the situation and providing Council with timely updates. This report provides an update on the implementation of the Council-approved action plan and outlines the next steps for City response.

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, in consultation with the Executive Director, Development Review, to resume the review and eligibility verification process for the remaining projects received by the City in Phase One of the Purpose-built Rental Homes Incentives stream and report to the Executive Committee by July 2025 with a list of eligible projects and their status that can be supported through an indefinite deferral of development charges payable, as long as the development remains a rental property, should sufficient provincial funding be made available.

In Fall 2024, City Council advanced the new Purpose-Built Rental Housing Incentives program, an important new initiative to unlock new rental supply and affordable rental housing.

This program provides eligible projects with relief on property taxes and development charges to bring down the cost of building, and help new rental and affordable units break ground at a time when many are stalled due to economic conditions.

There has been an overwhelmingly strong response to this program, far exceeding expectations and demonstrating the housing sector’s readiness to build. The City received a total of 75 applications in 21 wards across the city, representing over 32,600 purpose-built rental homes and over 7,400 affordable rental homes that are ready to break ground by the end of next year.

In December 2024, City Council approved incentives for 17 applications in 12 wards across the city, representing 7,156 net new rental homes and 1,047 net new affordable rental homes, to be funded by the City.

With provincial and federal government support, the City can move forward to unlock additional shovel-ready projects.

In March 2025, the federal government indicated it has earmarked up to $7.3 billion in low-cost financing through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Apartment Construction Loan Program for projects in Toronto. This funding is contingent on securing required support from the Government of Ontario.

This motion requests City staff to review the remaining applications to the Purpose-Built Rental Housing Incentives program and report on additional shovel-ready housing projects that could be eligible to receive property tax and development charge relief if provincial funding is received. This will help the City move quickly to advance these projects with provincial financial support.