At the Special In-Camera Council meeting of March 11, 2022, Pickering Council received a significant update related to the long-term fiscal and economic impacts of the City Centre project and decided to defer all work on the project pending further review.

The City retained KPMG and Hariri Pontarini Architects to complete this review and present options for the next phase of the City Centre Project, based on cost estimates and financial implications.

At the March 27, 2023 Special Meeting of Council, Council was presented with four City Centre options and endorsed Option D.

Option A – (Recap) Legacy Concept

Option B – Legacy Revisited Concept: The City and PTC would swap the City owned lands with PTC owned lands and the City receive the lands (west of Glenanna Road) as parkland dedication from PTC. This option is subject to negotiation and agreement between PTC ownership and the City.

Option C – Multiplex Concept: The City receives parkland dedication lands (west of Glenanna Road) as part of PTC development and City would sell South Block (south of Esplanade South) to subsidize project costs.

Option D – Facilities on the Park Concept: The City connects Esplanade Park, an important component to establishing a City Centre, by relocating Esplanade South to the south and introducing the Library and Seniors & Youth Centre adjacent to the park, creating a view from Glenanna Road.

City Centre Concept Image - Option D

The options presented were generally consistent with the City’s original City Centre vision, which included a new Central Library, new Seniors & Youth Centre, new Performing Arts Centre, new Public Square, new Administration Space Expansion, and residential development. View details and concepts of each option in Report CAO 05-23.

Staff have been directed to retain KPMG to conduct a detailed analysis of the preferred option to be presented to Council in Q1 2024, as per their fee proposal set out in Attachment 2 of Report to Council CAO-05-23 (page 97 of 101)