Minutes To be Confirmed

This meeting of the Board of Directors of TO Live was held by electronic means and the proceedings of the Board were conducted publicly.

The Board of Directors of TO Live:

1.  Recommends that City Council endorse the building program for the new reimagined St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, as more particularly itemized in Attachment 2 to the report (March 30, 2022) from the President and Chief Executive Officer, TO Live.

2.  Recommends that City Council direct the President and Chief Executive Officer, TO Live and the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO, along with the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to:

a.  Explore options for and complete the schematic design process to reimagine the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, informed by the existing secured funding as outlined in the TO Live State of Good Repair budget and the building program outlined in Attachment 2 and the heritage approach and principles outlined in Attachment 1 from the President and Chief Executive Officer, TO Live;

b.  Complete an updated Class D cost estimate; 

c.  Provide an update to the project budget and funding strategy.

3.  Recommends that City Council direct the President and Chief Executive Officer, TO Live and the Chief Executive Officer, Create TO, along with the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to report back to the Executive Committee and City Council in the second quarter of 2023 with updates including: the completed schematic design, the project costs based on a Class D estimate, the business model and funding strategy.

4.  Forwards the report (April 13, 2022) from the President and Chief Executive Officer, TO Live [CT32.1b] to the Executive Committee for consideration with the recommendations from the Board of Directors of CreateTO and the Board of Directors of TO Live.

The Chair, TO Live - St. Lawrence Centre Redevelopment Committee gave an overview of the item.

The Vice President, St. Lawrence Centre Redevelopment, TO Live gave an overview of the Creating Space diagram for the St. Lawrence Centre Redevelopment. 

Philip Goldsmith, Heritage Architect (PGA), and Megan Troza, Partner, DTAH Architects gave an overview of Attachments 1 and 3 to the report (March 30, 2022) from the President and Chief Executive Officer, TO Live.

The Board of Directors of TO Live recessed its public meeting to meet in closed session to consider the item as it pertains to financial information that belongs to the Board of Directors of TO Live and has monetary value or potential monetary value.

At its meeting of January 20, 2020, City Council adopted EX12.6 which directed TO Live and CreateTO to prepare a building program, Class D cost estimate, business model and funding strategy for a reimagined St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts ("STLC"), a civic asset managed by TO Live and located at 27 Front Street East in the heart of the St. Lawrence neighbourhood. 

The purpose of this report is to provide the Board of Directors of TO Live (the "Board") with an update on the work directed by City Council, and the recommendations for next steps. 

The work completed to date reflects Phase 1 of the City's Major Capital Project Approval Process (Preliminary Assessment/Feasibility) which includes:

-  development of a building program informed by a robust consultation process with a broad range of representatives in the arts, culture and creative spaces and the St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood Association and BIA;
-  development of a heritage approach and principles to guide the future reimaging of the STLC;

-  a test fit of the building program to ensure the cultural heritage of the site can be celebrated, while providing new spaces to support the evolving and changing needs of the arts, culture, and creative sector for the next 60 years;

-  a Class D cost estimate to inform a preliminary project budget;

-  a financial  model that operationalizes the new vision for the STLC; and

-  a funding strategy to support the construction of a new reimaged STLC. 
 

The STLC has played an important role in the evolution of the City's cultural fabric. Constructed by the City of Toronto as a Canadian centennial project, the STLC opened its doors in February 1970. For 52 years, the building, alongside its counterpart, Meridian Hall (originally named the O'Keefe Centre), has served performers and hosted performances that have entertained citizens and visitors.

Today, following the impacts of the pandemic and a devastated cultural sector, a new cultural landscape is emerging that calls for a reimagining of the STLC that builds upon the renewed values and themes articulated by the community through the consultation process, and also aligns with TO Live's five year Strategic Plan - flexible spaces; equity, access and affordability; creative process; and delivery systems that will support the next generation of artists, performers, creatives, and the local community. 

This advances the Council direction to prioritize a more equitable recovery and inclusive economy articulated through the COVID-19 Impacts and Opportunities report and Building Back Stronger: Report of the Economic Cultural Advisory Group.

The reimagined STLC will create a cultural ecosystem where renewed cultural spaces, innovative spaces and gathering spaces will anchor the STLC as a cultural and civic hub along the important Front Street cultural corridor. A reimagined STLC will support the following key objectives:

-  Reimagine an aging, outdated facility that no longer serves the functional needs of the cultural and creative sector and the local community;
 

-  Create a new state-of-the-art cultural hub and community asset for the city that will be fitted out with cutting-edge broadcast technology and livestreaming equipment, virtual and augmented reality technology, and high-speed connectivity to support the next generation of creatives and generate economic activity in Toronto;
 

-  Create flexible spaces that will:
 

-  serve the dynamic needs of artists (local or otherwise) and contribute to their artistic development, innovation and collaboration;

-  provide flexible theatre spaces, a rehearsal hall, studios and workshops, lobbies and outdoor spaces that will be used and animated throughout the day and night;

-  enable the versatility of spaces to serve performance and presentation, creation and incubation to best serve the local artistic community as well as enable TO Live to showcase the world's most innovative artistic programs through presentation; and

-  bring together a variety of partners - local artists and organizations, performers educational partners, anchor tenants and the local community in open and accessible space.
 

-  Build cultural capacity in the city, that will secure longevity of space for the creative community;
 

-  Support the cultural and retail importance of Front Street East as a "Cultural Corridor and Retail Priority Street" in the City's Downtown Plan;
 

-  Contribute to the enhancement of the Front Street public realm with improved connections to Berczy Park, Scott Street and Meridian Hall;
 

-  Target Toronto Green Standards, Version 3, Tier 4 and establish new sustainable performance standards for this archetype;
 

-  Develop a business model that will provide affordable access to the performing arts sector, communities and neighbourhood that will be representative of the citizens of Toronto; and
 

-  Develop a funding strategy that will draw support from federal and provincial governments and fundraising to minimize the capital requirements from the City.  
 

The next steps require City Council's approval to advance to Phase 2 of the City's Major Capital Project Approval Process (concept design, through an international design competition, site investigation and due diligence to inform a project budget and schedule). Subject to City Council's approval, a design competition would be launched in the third quarter of 2022 with a recommended design team and project budget reporting to Executive Committee and City Council in the second quarter of 2023.

Summary from the report (March 30, 2022) from the President and Chief Executive Officer, TO Live:

At its meeting of January 20, 2020, City Council adopted EX12.6 which directed TO Live and CreateTO to prepare a building program, Class D cost estimate, business model and funding strategy for a reimagined St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts ("STLC"), a civic asset managed by TO Live and located at 27 Front Street East in the heart of the St. Lawrence neighbourhood. 

The purpose of this report is to provide the Board of Directors of TO Live (the "Board") with an update on the work directed by City Council, and the recommendations for next steps.

The work completed to date reflects Phase 1 of the City's Major Capital Project Approval Process (Preliminary Assessment/Feasibility) which includes:

-  development of a building program informed by a robust consultation process with a broad range of representatives in the arts, culture and creative spaces and the St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood Association and BIA;

-  development of a heritage approach and principles to guide the future reimaging of the STLC;

-  a test fit of the building program to ensure the cultural heritage of the site can be celebrated, while providing new spaces to support the evolving and changing needs of the arts, culture, and creative sector for the next 60 years;

-  a Class D cost estimate to inform a preliminary project budget;

-  a financial model that operationalizes the new vision for the STLC; and

-  a funding strategy to support the construction of a new reimaged STLC.

The STLC has played an important role in the evolution of the City's cultural fabric. Constructed by the City of Toronto as a Canadian centennial project, the STLC opened its doors in February 1970. For 52 years, the building, alongside its counterpart, Meridian Hall (originally named the O'Keefe Centre), has served performers and hosted performances that have entertained citizens and visitors.

Today, following the impacts of the pandemic and a devastated cultural sector, a new cultural landscape is emerging that calls for a reimagining of the STLC that builds upon the renewed values and themes articulated by the community through the consultation process, and also aligns with TO Live's five year Strategic Plan - flexible spaces; equity, access and affordability; creative process; and delivery systems that will support the next generation of artists, performers, creatives, and the local community.

This advances the Council direction to prioritize a more equitable recovery and inclusive economy articulated through the COVID-19 Impacts and Opportunities report and Building Back Stronger: Report of the Economic Cultural Advisory Group.

The reimagined STLC will create a cultural ecosystem where renewed cultural spaces, innovative spaces and gathering spaces will anchor the STLC as a cultural and civic hub along the important Front Street cultural corridor. A reimagined STLC will support the following key objectives:

-  Reimagine an aging, outdated facility that no longer serves the functional needs of the cultural and creative sector and the local community;

-  Create a new state-of-the-art cultural hub and community asset for the city that will be fitted out with cutting-edge broadcast technology and livestreaming equipment, virtual and augmented reality technology, and high-speed connectivity to support the next generation of creatives and generate economic activity in Toronto;

-  Create flexible spaces that will:

-   serve the dynamic needs of artists (local or otherwise) and contribute to their artistic development, innovation and collaboration;

-  provide flexible theatre spaces, a rehearsal hall, studios and workshops, lobbies and outdoor spaces that will be used and animated throughout the day and night;

-  enable the versatility of spaces to serve performance and presentation, creation and incubation to best serve the local artistic community as well as enable TO Live to showcase the world's most innovative artistic programs through presentation; and

-  bring together a variety of partners - local artists and organizations, performers educational partners, anchor tenants and the local community in open and accessible space.

-  Build cultural capacity in the city, that will secure longevity of space for the creative community;

-  Support the cultural and retail importance of Front Street East as a "Cultural Corridor and Retail Priority Street" in the City's Downtown Plan;

-  Contribute to the enhancement of the Front Street public realm with improved connections to Berczy Park, Scott Street and Meridian Hall;

-  Target Toronto Green Standards, Version 3, Tier 4 and establish new sustainable performance standards for this archetype;

- Develop a business model that will provide affordable access to the performing arts sector, communities and neighbourhood that will be representative of the citizens of Toronto; and

- Develop a funding strategy that will draw support from federal and provincial governments and fundraising to minimize the capital requirements from the City.

The next steps require City Council's approval to advance to Phase 2 of the City's Major Capital Project Approval Process (concept design, through an international design competition, site investigation and due diligence to inform a project budget and schedule). Subject to City Council's approval, a design competition would be launched in Q3 of 2022 with a recommended design team and project budget reporting to Executive Committee and City Council in Q2 of 2023

The purpose of this report is to provide an analysis of the opportunity for a renovation budget for the existing building to assist the Board and City Council with its consideration of the report.

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