February 7, 2012
Dear Residents of Guildwood Village,
Following the termination of the letter of intent with Centennial College, the City has been designing a revised strategy for the revitalization of the Guild. The first issue that is being addressed by the City is the condition of the Bickford wing of the Guild Inn. A condition report was completed in November 2011 and the City is working on a plan to keep the building safe and secure. At the same time, City Real Estate Services; Economic Development and Culture; and Parks Forestry and Recreation are working together to hire a consultant to advise on the search for a private sector proponent to build and operate a restaurant/banquet facility at the Guild. The RFP to hire this consultant has been issued and will close on February 24th. For the time being, the City's plans for the Cultural Precinct are being reviewed so that they can be coordinated with the plans for a restaurant/banquet facility.
Letter to the Editor Scarborough Mirror dated October 2011
I have always maintained that I would not support the construction of condominiums on the grounds of the Guild Park & Gardens by Centennial College.
After being elected in 2006, I created the Guild Park Advisory Committee (GPAC) to actively look for a proponent to redevelop the Bickford Residence within the Park. Membership on the Committee included people from the executive of the Guildwood Village Community Association, as well as the Guild Renaissance Group. We established a set of parameters we felt the community at large would accept for anyone wishing to occupy the Bickford Residence.
During the search process we turned many different potential applicants away. The GPAC settled on Centennial College which said it recognized the significance of the Park to the community and its history. Representatives of the school expressed a strong desire to work with the City of Toronto as we developed the Culture Precinct around the Bickford Residence.
Centennial’s plans were outlined as a two phase project including office space for its world renowned Culture & Heritage Institute, a restaurant, banquet facilities, a spa, and boutique hotel in the second phase of construction.
Centennial College signed a Letter of Intent with the City of Toronto and never wavered from what the school intended to build….until this year when myself and City staff started to pressure the College as they began to miss deadlines. After reviewing a hotel feasibility study, and a fund-raising study the College began to raise concerns they may have which would delay and may even need to revise their proposal. Between March and June 2011 the scope of their project changed from purely office space, to potential classrooms, maybe needing to build some condominiums to help finance the hotel, to finally a project which completely eliminated any discussion of a hotel, and constructing and selling condominiums to the general public to finance the project.
As I said at the beginning….I WILL NOT support condominiums being built in the middle of a City park. Such permanent residences could and will have a huge impact on any public use of the park land. It is a complete 360 degree change from Centennials original proposal. If they had made this presentation to GPAC in 2007 the Committee would have completely rejected such a project and accepted another proponent.
Needless to say, this change in scope will cause delays in seeing a successful project constructed on the grounds. I feel if we had approved another proponent we would see a working entity on the grounds of the Guild. If Centennial is unwilling to revisit their plans the City of Toronto under my direction will be asked to release another Request for Proposals for the Bickford Residence for a restaurant & banquet facility.
It goes without saying I am deeply disappointed in the change by Centennial College. I think it portrays a deep lack of respect for the Guildwood community, and a misunderstanding of what all interested parties see as the proper utilization of the Guild Park & Gardens.
December, 2011
Letter to the Editor, Scarborough Mirror
Re: (Nov. 23) Centennial College, city end partnership for Guild Inn revitalization
In 2007 I formed the Guild Park Advisory Committee and we got to work to find a partner for the Guild Inn site. Over the years through the Guild Park Advisory Committee and public meetings we determined the parameters for the site. It was not the City who pressed for a hotel onsite. Centennial College included this component to accommodate guests who would attend conventions at their proposed conference/banquet hall.
The process has been transparent from the beginning. The community drove the content of the Letter of Intent which clearly stated what the Guild Park Advisory Committee and the City approved and expected. This same committee consisting of community members, City staff and myself interviewed potential partners and ultimately chose Centennial College. Our choice was approved by City Council.
At no time during these interviews did Centennial College introduce condominiums as a concept. If they had from the beginning we would have kindly rejected their application to partner with the City and community.
Centennial College's choice to begin conversations for condominiums was not part of our agreement and surprised all of us. When the Guild Park Advisory Committee and the City chose Centennial College, we were confident we had finally found the proper fit for the community, City and site. It's a shame that all of our time and effort has gone to waste by Centennial College NOT living up to the terms of the agreement they signed with the City of Toronto.
The City is moving forward with the Cultural Precinct which during the interviewing process I had legally separated from the Guild Inn building project in order for it to thrive as its own entity.
I am currently scheduling a meeting with the Guild Park Advisory Committee to discuss our move forward plans for the Guild Inn Building (Bickford Residence) site.
Respectfully,
Councillor Paul Ainslie
City of Toronto, Ward 43 - Scarborough East
Chair, Scarborough Community Council
Chair, Government Management Committee
Chair, Toronto Library Board
October, 2011
Guild Inn:
NO condominiums on the grounds of the Guild Park & Gardens by Centennial College!
After being elected in 2006, I created the Guild Park Advisory Committee (GPAC) to actively look for a proponent to redevelop the Bickford Residence within the Park. Membership on the Committee included people from the executive of the Guildwood Village Community Association, as well as the Guild Renaissance Group. We established a set of parameters we felt the community at large would accept for anyone wishing to occupy the Bickford Residence.
During the search process we turned many different potential applicants away. The GPAC settled on Centennial College which said it recognized the significance of the Park to the community and its history. Representatives of the school expressed a strong desire to work with the City of Toronto as we developed the Culture Precinct around the Bickford Residence.
Centennial’s plans were outlined as a two phase project including office space for its world renowned Culture & Heritage Institute, a restaurant, banquet facilities, a spa, and boutique hotel in the second phase of construction.
Centennial College signed a Letter of Intent with the City of Toronto and never wavered from what the school intended to build….until this year when I and City staff started to pressure the College as they began to miss deadlines. After reviewing a hotel feasibility study, and a fund-raising study the College began to raise concerns they may have which would delay and may even need to revise their proposal. Between March and June 2011 the scope of their project changed from purely office space, to potential classrooms, maybe needing to build some condominiums to help finance the hotel, to finally a project which completely eliminated any discussion of a hotel, and constructing and selling condominiums to the general public to finance the project.
As I said at the beginning I will not support condominiums being built in the middle of a City park. Such permanent residences could and will have a huge impact on any public use of the park land. It is a complete 360 degree change from Centennials original proposal. If they had made this presentation to GPAC in 2007 the Committee would have completely rejected such a project and accepted another proponent.
Needless to say, this change in scope will cause delays in seeing a successful project constructed on the grounds. I feel if we had approved another proponent we would see a working entity on the grounds of the Guild. If Centennial is unwilling to revisit their plans the City of Toronto under my direction will be asked to release another Request for Proposals for the Bickford Residence for a restaurant & banquet facility.
It goes without saying I am deeply disappointed in the change by Centennial College. I think it portrays a deep lack of respect for the Guildwood community, and a misunderstanding of what all interested parties see as the proper utilization of the Guild Park & Gardens.
Cultural Precinct
The Culture precinct is the area surrounding the Bickford building (Guild Inn), the work to bring the area back to its original function as an artist colony is essential to the parks integrity. The Precincts plans for redevelopment have been a separate project from the rehabilitation of the Bickford itself. The City's Culture Division and my office are the lead on Cultural Precinct re-development; plans are still going ahead and have not been stalled.
On June 27th, 2011 a Guild Park Advisory Committee meeting was held where the City's Manager of Culture Affairs updated committee members on the Cultural precinct plan for Guildwood Park.
Plans are continuing to move forward. A Request for Proposals was issued on June 30, 2011 to hire an architect to design the Guild craft studio building through the renovation and expansion of Building 191. The City received five submissions from architectural firms by the deadline of August 12, 2011.
City staff are currently reviewing the submissions and checking references. Staff, in Cultural Services will recommend a winning firm to City Purchasing by the end of October 2011. When complete, the building will include studio space for ceramics; kiln casting; fine metal work; textiles and the appropriate support spaces.
This recommendation will then go through the City's approval process including the execution of a legal agreement with the winning firm. It is anticipated that the chosen architect will be able to begin work on the design of the Guild studio building by the end of 2011.
