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BMO Scarborough Office Campus Master Plan Prepared by: Next Generation Consultants Prepared For: Bank of Montreal (BMO) Supervisor: Carlo Bonanni PLG620
FINAL REPORT
Next Generation Consultants Team: Andrew Leung Christina Taylor Daniel Hosannah Elizabeth Cunningham Eri Manastirli Emilia Sasso Iman Abdulkadir Iman Yousef Kaveh Wahdat Zachary Mezzatesta
April 2017
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Table Of Contents 1.
Executive Summary...............................................................................................................4
2.
Introduction.............................................................................................................................5
3.
Site and Surrounding Context..........................................................................................6
4.
Regulatory Context..............................................................................................................13
5.
Urban Design Guidelines & Other Relevant Policies................................................16
6.
Preliminary Site Plan Process...........................................................................................19
7.
Final Project Objectives..........................................................................................23
8.
The Master Plan - Phase One...........................................................................................24
9.
The Master Plan - Phase Two...........................................................................................30
10.
Proforma Analysis...............................................................................................................31
11.
Recommendations.............................................................................................................33
12.
Development Application Process................................................................................35
13.
Closing Remarks.................................................................................................................38
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1. Executive Summary
The goal and intentions of this report are to inform the creation of a Master Plan for the
client which recognizes the site’s potential and demonstrates our team’s vision for a connected, accessible and interactive office campus.
Next Generation Consultants was retained by the client, Bank of Montreal (BMO), to create a Master
Plan Office Campus for a site owned by BMO in Scarborough. This Master Plan will be guided by a set of primary project requirements within a terms of reference report provided by the client. The intention of this project is to provide BMO with a recommended site plan for the 21 acre parcel of underdeveloped land. The client has requested that the consulting team create a plan that expands upon and complements the two existing buildings on the site. The proposed development will accommodate additional BMO employees while also creating public open space for the community. Through policy research and site analysis, the report provides an assembly of the team’s recommended best use of land to meet the client’s objectives and parameters for the project. The final site plan and recommendations are based upon the team’s creation of a set of four objectives to guide the Masterplan: Densification, Connectivity, Sustainability and Interactivity. These were determined through the synthesis of the Terms of Reference, the client’s needs and the City of Toronto’s policies, regulations and guidelines concerning the site. The report will be broken down into sections designed to demonstrate the process from research, to establishment of objectives, to the final deliverables in order to communicate the team’s rationale behind the proposed site plan. For the site plan, the team has proposed the addition of five new structures; a parking garage, two identical triangular style utility buildings, a podium-style building and a multi-purpose structure accommodating offices and retail on the exterior portion and a parking garage at the building centre. The report concludes with a summary of what the team has gained from this project as a learning experience.
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2. Introduction
Next Generation Consultants are a consultant team from Ryerson University tasked with the creation
of a Master Plan Office Campus for the client, the Bank of Montreal (BMO), pertaining to land owned by them in the Scarborough District. The project is overseen by BMO employee Dan Arts, Director of Global Design and Construction and supervised by Professor Carlo Bonanni, from the Ryerson University School of Urban and Regional Planning. The project is both a student learning opportunity and an opportunity for the client to gain a new perspective on the site’s potential. The report will discuss the existing site, the surrounding and regulatory context, a preliminary concept plan, as well as a number of recommendations needed to transform the current site into a vibrant office campus. The team has been given creative freedom to develop the Master Plan save, for a set of versatile project parameters and development criteria which the client has provided in a terms of reference. This report will outline the development potential and the appropriate configuration of the site while preserving a campus feel and sense of community.
BMO is one of the five largest banks as well as the first bank in Canada (BMO, 2017). The company’s
philosophy is aimed at “making money make sense” for everyday customers. They achieve this by providing a wide selection of financial services through a single point of contact (BMO, 2017). The bank is broken into five major sectors; wealth group, capital market, corporate group , commercial and private banks and the technology sector (TNO); which holds a third of BMO’s employees. Since technology has evolved and can be located anywhere, the client wishes to relocate the TNO sector from the downtown district of Toronto to the site of the existing BMO Institute for Learning (IFL) located in the Scarborough District of the city. BMO intends for the campus to be an employment hub; a centralized location where companies employ large amounts of people.
This report is broken into existing site context, regulatory context, preliminary site plan process,
final Master Plan, a proforma analysis and recommendations that will provide a contextual basis for the final Master Plan.
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3. Site & Surrounding Context
This section of the report will introduce the existing conditions in regards to it’s location,
community services and amenities, the built environment, and finally existing transit and circulation.
3.1 Location
The BMO office campus is located at the northern boundary of the Scarborough district of the City
of Toronto as shown in Figure 3.1 . Specifically, the site is within short distance of highways 404 and 407. Steeles avenue serves as the northern limit to the campus while Gordon Baker road bounds it to the south. Pharmacy borders the campus on the east, while Victoria Park avenue borders the campus to the west.
3.2 Built Environment
In its current state, the BMO Campus situates a secondary data centre and an Institute for Learning
Building (IFL) at the southern portion of the site. The IFL building is a training facility for employees consisting of hotel amenities, boardrooms, an atrium as well as other convenient services. The secondary data centre is a three four-storey building complex consisting of office spaces and a highly-secured data centre.
The site is located within the northeast quadrant of Scarborough where density is increasing into
the inner suburbs. There are several new projects planned along Finch and Steeles Avenues. An example of a relevant project is to the west of the site along highway 404 by STC Investments Nominee Inc. There are redevelopment plans for a campus called the SteelesTech Campus, shown in Image 3.2. This will be a commercial office complex adding 8 new buildings to the 4 already existing buildings. Further, the Splendid China Mall, 2.5 kilometres east of the site is subject to an intensification proposal that would construct 3 residential towers of 17, 26 and 28 storeys that will include grade-level retail and all surface parking will be relocated indoors or underground (Urban Toronto, 2017).
Image 3.2a: SteelesTech Campus (Urban Toronto, 2017)
Image 3.2b: Splendid China Mall Development Site (Urban Toronto, 2017)
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Scarborough-Rouge River (42) VE SA L E EE T S
O IC T V A IA P R V KA R E
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Scarborough-Agincourt (39)
Scarborough-Rouge River (41)
Scarborough East (44) Scarborough-Agincourt (40)
Scarborough Centre (38) Scarborough East (43)
Scarborough Centre (37)
Scarborough Southwes
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3.3 Community Services & Amenities
The site is surrounded by a limited amount of existing community services and amenities. Surrounding
lots in the area are being used by other corporations such as Tangerine, IBM Canada and a Toyota car dealership. The services found are located within close proximity to these corporations and these services include a fitness facility, cafe’s and restaurants, and an independent grocery store. Figure 3.3 shows services within a 400 m radius of the site. This is the standard distance, as identified by the City of Toronto, that people are willing to travel and emphasizes the limited services that can be accessed by pedestrians.
Phase 2 of the Master Plan leaves enough room for the possibility of adding more amenities and
services such as day cares, libraries and retail for the convenience of BMO’s employees as well as the surrounding community. The Master Plan will be described in more detail in Sections 8 and 9 of the report. It is important that the campus attracts employees and talent while being strongly supported by surrounding services that will keep them engaged. More services and amenities will serve the employees of BMO while diversifying and adding points of interest for the rest of the area.
3.4 Land Use
As stated in the City of Toronto Official Plan, the land use designation for the entire site is under
Employment Areas with a Neighbourhoods designation found to the east of the site. As defined in Chapter 4 of the Official Plan, Employment Areas are the areas where the City grows their enterprises and jobs. The areas must support economic functions through parks, small scale retail, and services such as workplace daycare and restaurants readily accessible within the Employment Areas. Section 4.1 will go into more detail on Official Plan policies affecting the site.
3.5 Transit & Circulation
Transportation is a key factor that needs to be present around campuses. Currently, transportation
to the study area is limited due to the highly dispersed land use and its suburban nature. As shown in Figure 3.5, the north, east and west boundaries are serviced by TTC bus routes with the closest subway access to the site serviced by a direct bus route to the Finch Subway station. The Finch subway serves as a direct transit connection to the city’s downtown core. All roads are accessible primarily by automobile traffic through highways 404 and 407 which connect the campus to the surrounding region. As such, the lack of reliable and efficient transit connections to the suburbs has resulted in heavy dependence on car use, posing both a constraint and an opportunity for the client.
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3.6 Perceived Opportunities & Constraints
3.6.1 Stormwater Management
The BMO Office Campus site has a hill in the southern portion of the site that acts as a distinctive
feature. While much of the site is flat land, with considerable vacant land in the north, one of the major constraints to development will be the management of water that will be flowing down the hill during inclement weather. This water may concentrate at the bottom of the hill and will require a stormwater management report to be completed to evaluate the impact it will have on site infrastructure. Fortunately,there are design measures that can be incorporated into the site plan that will reduce any risk of flooding and protect the campus infrastructure. One of these design measures are called water squares, which combines public space with stormwater management strategies. In dry conditions, the entire water square is available to use and it can be designed for recreational purposes. During heavy rainfall, the square floor will fill up with water and will drain into and be stored underneath the square. When applied to the site, a water square could be designed as an open space where people can sit, meet and eat as well as provides a unique aesthetically pleasing landmark for the campus.
3.6.2 Parking
Other constraints to development include parking space desired by BMO and the Scarborough
General Zoning Bylaw as well as the cost of building underground. The client has requested 2,400 parking spaces be provided on the site to accommodate its employees. The zoning bylaw, on the other hand, has a 3.0 per 100 m2 parking requirement ratio for offices and training facilities. This equates to a minimum of 2,788 of parking requirement. Having nearly 2,800 parking spaces on site will have a major visual impact to the landscape of the site and the sheer amount of car trips generated is monumental. Such development would not fit with the counter-auto-dependency doctrine of the City and the Province. The 2,400 parking spaces required by the client is not enough of a reduction to satisfy the City and therefore this masterplan proposes a parking requirement of 1,600 additional spots. As such, a zoning bylaw amendment is required. The objective of this masterplan will be to maximize the amount of parking able to be incorporated into the Master Plan and recommend alternative modes of transportation to reduce the parking demand on the campus. Further, underground parking is a possible substitute to surface parking to maximize space. However, such projects are costly and the client has stated that building underground is undesirable.
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3.6.3 LEED Certification
The client has expressed that all new buildings should be built according to LEED Silver Certification
standards. LEED is administered by the Canada Green Building Council to encourage sustainable building practices and covers 8 categories including innovation and design, locations and linkages, sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality and awareness and education (Canada Green Building Council, 2009). There are multiple rating system types and the office campus would fall under the New Construction Rating System which applies to new construction and major renovations of commercial and institutional buildings (Canada Green Building Council, 2009). One of the many benefits of having buildings that are LEED certified is that it creates distinction amoungst competitors as well as decreases the operating costs of buildings. One of the opportunities that the Canada Green Building Council provides under the New Construction Rating System is a LEED Campus Approach. This approach provides BMO with an opportunity to be able to declare their entire campus as LEED certified and can include existing buildings pursuing or not pursuing LEED certification. Furthermore, the boundaries of the campus can be set by the client and does not need to include the entire site of existing buildings owned by BMO. Individual building certifications can be of a higher LEED level, for example Gold or Platinum, where the entire campus can be Silver Certified. Since BMO has identified the desire for a Phase 1 and Phase 2 development approach to the campus, the LEED Campus Approach can simplify the process as once the credit is achieved for the campus, further projects on the campus will only need to indicate that the new developments meet or exceeded the standards to which the other infrastructure was developed (Canada Green Building Council, 2009).
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4. Regulatory Context
The Policy Context outlined below provides an overview of the potential policy
opportunities and constraints related to the BMO Scarborough Campus. The following describes the City of Toronto’s policy framework in the context of the campus site and provides contextual information that sets the stage for the design and vision of the masterplan.
4.1 Official Plan Policies 4.1.1 Employment Area The BMO Office Campus is designated by the Toronto Official Plan as an Employment Area. Since the city’s population is expected to grow by 4.2 million by the year 2041, Toronto will need to plan for employment growth (Toronto Foundation, 2016). As such, the city greatly encourages and prioritizes intensifying growth in clusters known as Employment Districts. The city recognizes these areas as being vital to the maintenance and assurance of Toronto’s future as a major economic competitor. It is relatively difficult to acquire new land under the employment area designation, and once employment lands are lost to other uses it is even more difficult to return them to commercial or industrial uses. Therefore, BMO’s office campus will provide the city with 618,660 square feet of new commercial development that will contribute to and encourage additional economic growth in the area. The proposed Master Plan adheres to the Official Plan’s framework for directing growth in Employment Areas, provided in Section 2.2.4 “Employment Districts: Supporting Business and Employment Growth.” Employment Areas should be transit-oriented and businesses are encouraged to provide employees with Travel Demand Management (TDM) programs, such as carpooling and shuttle buses. The Official Plan also suggests that surrounding businesses may collaborate to create a Transit Management Association (TMA) in order to implement TDM programs on a broader scale. This is relevant to the BMO campus as the transit service currently in place is inadequate to support the scale of development that is desired. Privately funded transit programs may be a means of reducing auto-dependency and creating a more transit-oriented campus.
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4.1.2 Avenue
Section 2.2.3 “Avenues: Re Urbanizing Arterial Corridors” of the Official Plan emphasizes that
development should be concentrated along avenues and follow recommendations based on location-specific avenue studies. In the case of the BMO campus, the right-of-ways surrounding the site are not currently being considered for an avenue study. However, in the event that the city were to propose that an avenue study be conducted on the roads surrounding the site, the new development could build upon the principles of an avenue study. The general provisions of the Official Plan regarding Avenues should be adhered to and considered before submitting Official Plan and/or zoning amendment applications. It is also stated that Avenues should be comfortable, safe and attractive to pedestrians and cyclists. Currently, the streetscape surrounding the campus is not pedestrian friendly with narrow sidewalks, bare lawns and limited pedestrian friendly access into the campus. Upon examining the site and surrounding area, the team identified Victoria Park Avenue as a road that would be suitable for an avenue study as the guidelines outlined by the City of Toronto for such studies would encourage the development on Victoria Park Ave to incorporate mid-rise development, enhanced streetscape and better circulation.
4.1.3 Stormwater Management
Section 2.1 “Building a More Livable Urban Region” of Toronto’s Official Plan recognizes that the city
is part of a larger biophysical area made up of major watersheds. Thus, the Official Plan encourages growth that results in better water quality through water conservation and stormwater management. The BMO campus has a hill on the southern portion of the site, and it will affect drainage which presents the need for stormwater management measures in line with watershed principles and the official plan framework. Poor drainage may pose a risk for flooding or erosion. In order to determine the most appropriate stormwater management actions for the site, a stormwater management report will need to be done.
4.1.4 Reducing Auto-Dependency
Section 2.4 “Bringing the City Together: A Progressive Agenda of Transportation Change” expresses
that new development should reduce auto-dependency by accommodating other forms of transit. The BMO campus is located 9km from the closest subway station, Finch. Since there is limited public transit in the area the site is subject to high automobile dependency. Therefore, development of the site should acknowledge these barriers and constraints in order to create a more transit-oriented and accessible campus.
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4.2 City of Scarborough Employment District Bylaw
At the time that this report was written, the harmonized City of Toronto bylaw is yet to apply on
the subject site. The Former City of Scarborough Employment District Bylaw is currently still effective. Accordingly, the site is zoned for employment uses (E) that permits educational and training facilities, offices, certain industrial uses and ancillary services.
In particular, the performance standards for the site state that the setbacks should be 4 metres
across the site and the maximum height for most parts of the site should be 35 metres tall, except the street line of Pharmacy Avenue of which it is permitted at 12 metres. In addition, 241,500 m2 (2,599,484 square feet) is allowed for total gross floor area of all buildings on the site combined. A hotel structure is also permitted at the Steeles and Victoria Park Ave. corner as stated in the exception part of the bylaw. However, BMO has stated it has no intention to develop a hotel on site, nor does this Master Plan propose a hotel structure, this exception has no impact to this plan.
The parking requirement of the site is without specific provisions for performance standards and
has no exceptions. It follows general provisions that apply to all employment districts in Scarborough. Under Clause V, a ratio of 3 stalls per 100 m2 is required for office and training facilities. There are currently 1400 stalls at the subject site as required by this parking ratio. The proposed phase one development, without a zoning bylaw amendment on the ratio, will require an additional 1394 stalls of parking spaces to conform with the bylaw.
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5. Urban Design Guidelines & Other Relevant Policies
This section outlines how the proposed Master Plan fits in with the Urban Design guidelines
provided by the City of Toronto for Victoria Park and Steeles Avenues. In this section, there are also other city-initiated guidelines and assessments that need to be conducted for the future densification of the BMO Scarborough Campus.
5.1 City of Toronto Urban Design Guidelines 5.1.1 Internal Road System In accordance with the Design Guidelines, the internal road system should incorporate at least 4 points of vehicular access to the surrounding municipal street network. Furthermore, the guidelines state that if lands are to be sold or leased to parties for more than 21 years, part of the internal road system should be made public to facilitate access to any facilities not owned by BMO. On-street parking should be incorporated into the site through the internal road network as outlined.
4.1.2 Built Form & Streetscape
The Urban Design guidelines state that future development on the corner of Victoria Park Avenue
and Steeles Avenue should be designed in a manner that highlights this landmark location, which is located on the north part of the BMO campus facing Steeles Avenue.
4.1.3 Pedestrian Circulation
Providing pedestrian friendly circulation should be a priority for improving connectivity. The Urban
Design Guidelines state that sidewalks should be constructed on at least one side of each internal street.
4.1.3 Parking
The Urban Design Guidelines permit the use of above grade parking structures with a maximum
height of 3.7 metres. The current proposed design includes above grade parking structures and on-street parking, this meets the requirements for parking as indicated in the guideline. The final proposed design includes two above grade parking structures located on the southeast and southwest portion of the site as well as several on street parking areas along the internal road network. These parking structures can be accessed within the internal road structure as to to maintain the flow of traffic. Other alternatives and strategies may be introduced to assist future parking plans for the site.
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5.2 Complete Streets Guidelines The Complete Streets Guidelines place emphasis on streets being vital places in the City of Toronto. It further goes on to explain how streets should be designed to improve safety and accessibility for all. The vision for the complete streets guidelines corresponds with the vision for streets in the City’s official plan. Streets in Toronto are aimed to serve a multitude of roles; as a result, the vision states that complete streets should be designed for people, for placemaking and for prosperity. Streets should be safe and accessible for all people, and they must create connected networks for a variety of travel modes for people to move around making the streets comfortable and inviting for people to walk and be physically active. Streets should respect the existing and planned local context and fit comfortably in this environment as well as should be attractive public spaces in which people want to spend time. The streets should also aim to improve the city’s environmental sustainability and act as a place of economic and social change. The streets should also be flexible and cost effective, they should be able to adapt and change with the needs of people overtime (Toronto Complete Streets Guidelines, 2016).
The proposed Master Plan for BMO introduces an integrated pathway network for not only cars but
also pedestrians, this network ensures the design is catered towards ensuring the requirements of the Complete Streets Guidelines is met. These streets are also designed to ensure that they meet the needs of the people utilizing the BMO Campus space. The Complete Streets Guidelines is an important tool to factor in when designing the streets and public realm within the site. This is a campus in which the overall needs of the individuals utilizing the space, whether they drive, use public transit, walk or bike is factored in. The site has numerous pedestrian and vehicular pathways being proposed that are intended to facilitate navigation on the BMO Campus. These pathways are placed in such a way that they correspond and connect with the local context and surrounding streets within the site. Overall, these proposed street networks are designed in a fashion that corresponds with and serves the vision of the complete streets guidelines provided by the City of Toronto.
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5.3 Bird-Friendly Guidelines & Toronto Green Standard These are comprehensive guidelines set by the City of Toronto to eliminate the potential for collision hazards buildings present to birds. These bird-friendly guidelines are further elaborated in the Toronto Green Standard as a matter of exterior sustainable design. The Toronto Green Standard is a set of performance measures for sustainable site and building design. These are to be applied for low-rise residential developments that are adjacent or nearby natural areas and contain more than 5 units, residential developments higher than 4 storeys and non-residential developments. As the Master Plan falls under these criteria, the bird-friendly guidelines must be met in accordance to the Toronto Green Standard. The Toronto Green Standard helps to reduce future infrastructure demands and environmental implications to create a healthier, more liveable city (Toronto Green Standard, 2016)
Image 6.1a: Aviva Offices
Image 6.1b: Illinois Campus
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6. Preliminary Site Plan Process
This section outlines the various stages of the project, it will begin with an outline of the
background field research and case studies analyzed as well as the changes to the interim site plan. It describes the major elements that helped the team reach the Final Master Plan.
6.1 Field Research and Case Studies The team researched case studies of office campuses in Ontario, Canada and Illinois, USA. The first case study researched was Aviva’s offices located in the city of Markham, Ontario, near highway 407 and is shown in Image 6.1a. Although the site is not designed at a campus scale with multiple buildings, it is a great example of a project that worked closely with existing development in the area. Since the site is located in Markham’s new downtown core, it relied heavily on modernized elements of the new services that were being introduced to the area to attract and engage the workforce. These services included a movie theatre, shopping, restaurants, and green space. Although these services are not necessarily provided by the company, it highlights the relationship between mixed uses, proving that commercial and employment uses can be combined in a practical manner to bring benefits to the users as well as the municipality.
The second case study is the Illinois Science and Technology campus which is an excellent example
of intensification and infill on an under-developed site just outside of Chicago and is shown in Image 6.1b. The goal of this project was to create new jobs on the campus, as well as increase jobs and development in the surrounding area. The Illinois campus integrated new modern buildings with pre-existing ones to create a modern and complete campus, adding nearly 1,500 new jobs. Using a variety of design techniques and methods such as pedestrian pathways, covered spaces and bridges the goal was to have the outdoor spaces be enjoyed during various weather conditions. Although people may not physically be outside, the outdoors can still be experienced in comfortable conditions. This is extremely important especially as inclement weather is a deterrent for many users.
The case studies provided examples of redevelopment that had taken place in areas that had existing
structures, were portioned by roads, and created innovative ways of travelling through the campus. These case studies were used as precedents for the projects features; mixed uses, building interconnectivity, and interior road and pedestrian networks.
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6.2 Changes to Interim Site Plan Following the creation of the interim background report and preliminary site plan, shown in Image 6.2, the campus design changed significantly. This section will begin with significant meetings and workshops that helped propel these crucial changes. One of the areas of major adjustments and challenges is the parking demand incurred by BMO employees, as 90% of employees drive to work independently. The site currently exists with 1400 available parking spots with an expected additional 2500 spots, as originally requested by the client, to be added to the site for phase one development. The preliminary site plan housed an ‘L’ shaped parking garage accommodating 1600 cars, however the feedback received during bi-weekly meetings with the client helped the team reveal major challenges in the preliminary parking proposal. The structure was too large, it took away from the campus feel, and was in a poor location being on Victoria Park Ave. Further, the southwest building was placed at the back of the campus and it was requested that major office buildings are brought to the centre and front of the site while parking should be placed on the back of the lot. This allowed for better site lines from Steeles Ave as well as provided better connectivity with the other built infrastructure and public spaces.
The team participated in an urban design workshop run by Wai Ying Di Giorgio from the Planning
Partnership. Part of the workshop was a design charrette for the Office Campus where the final Master Plan was conceptualized. First, to reduce the size and footprint of a single large parking garage a ‘U’ shaped building was designed to incorporate retail and office uses on the perimeter and have a parking garage tucked into the centre of the building making it invisible from Victoria Park Ave and Gordon Baker Rd. This allows for an animated avenue on Victoria Park Avenue that connects the campus to its surroundings. Secondly, another parking garage was strategically placed where the original Southwest building was located at the back of the site so as not to interfere with the connectivity of the overall campus. The third major change to occur to the site was the internal road system and multi-use path network. Following the preliminary site plan, the project was refocused on the public realm. Once the major building changes were in place the team underwent a final design charrette to determine the location of roads and paths as well as how to fit minor surface parking and on street parking. This was done to create a network of roads, parking and public space that interact seamlessly.
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Over the course of several months the team utilized the previously discussed field research, meetings
and workshops to reach the final Master Plan for BMO. It was established that the Master Plan for the BMO Office Campus needed to be centred around the following four themes: Densification, Connectivity, Accessibility, and Interactivity. These four themes and their subsequent delivery, have seen adjustments and changes throughout the Master Planning process. Despite this, the aim to make the Office Campus a place for both work and leisure in an enhanced environment that creates a true campus feel still remains persistent. The preliminary plan and changes are outlined below:
In regards to the theme of Densification, the preliminary site plan created for the BMO Campus ,
as shown in Image 6.1, included the addition of four new buildings. The Podium Building (POD) proposed on the Victoria Park Avenue was the only building facing the avenue. The podium style building had the highest point reaching 8 storeys with each side being 6 storeys and 4 storeys. As this building will be highly visible from the area surrounding the site, the team felt that engaging architectural features such as design and a curved facade would be appropriate. However, this building alone could not achieve all these aspects. Therefore the team decided to move forward in adding more density and interactivity along Victoria Park Avenue.
Accessibility to and within the site is a key component in the success of site development and
operation. Reducing auto-dependency presents a key challenge in a development of this magnitude, especially due to the lack of immediate access to a major public transit station. Our preliminary Master Plan only emphasized and provided support to this issue with a large parking structure located on the corner of Victoria Park Avenue and Gordon Baker Road. The preliminary stages of the Master Plan focused heavily on providing built connections. This was best represented in the design of pedestrian bridges and ground-level walkways between new and existing buildings throughout the site. The purpose was to allow users to travel from one building to another without having to leave the buildings, especially during winter or other instances of adverse weather conditions. These bridges would be a permanent feature used year-round.
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6.2 Changes to Interim Site Plan Continued
Finally, the theme of Interactivity is addressed by focusing on the campus’ facility needs as well as
the public space needs. A proposed grand atrium was placed to open up the back sides of the existing office building and the Institute for Learning (IFL). This will enhance the design of the IFL as a focal point, while also providing open space to be enjoyed by the campus users. Proper programming such as water squares, discussed in further detail in Section 3.6.1, will make the space come together as an interconnected mosaic of infrastructure and design, intended to create a welcoming campus-like aesthetic. The site is designed to be user-friendly while putting innovative urban design methods into practice that are consistent with the city’s guidelines.
Image 6.2: Preliminary Site Plan
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7. Final Project Objectives
The following section defines the final project objectives, as determined by the team, which
guide the Master Plan for both Phase One and Phase Two.
Densification
Encouraging effective use of land through development,
Connectivity
Creating a connected and accessible campus where people
redevelopment or infill to a higher density than currently exists.
can efficiently travel between facilities, amenities and public spaces in and surrounding the campus through multi-use paths and internal road systems.
Sustainability
Ensuring the viability of the campuses existing infrastructure while preserving environmental and economic integrity for future development.
Interactivity
Promoting human-scale development that creates active spaces where people can connect and enjoy meals.
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8. The Master Plan -Phase One The Master Plan will create a connected and enhanced employee experience and public realm in the campus. It will ensure that this site is not just for the dedicated BMO employees, but also for the public and those around the site. The Master Plan design will convert the current site to a more inclusive space that is interconnected with its surroundings.
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Image 8.0: Victoria Park Ave facing North
POD - Podium Building T1 & T2 - Triangular Buildings SW - Southwest Building P - Parking Garage
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8.1 Densification In regards to the theme of densification, the site presents a major opportunity as it is underdeveloped. To take advantage of this opportunity, the final Master Plan created for the BMO campus includes the addition of four new buildings and a parking garage. To provide a visualization of the Master Plan Figure 8.1 shows the final site plan for the campus outlining building footprint and landscape features. Discussed in this section are the four proposed buildings, the Podium building, the T1 & T2 - Triangular Buildings and finally the Southwest building.
Firstly, the Podium building (POD) proposed on the Victoria Park Avenue side of the lot will be a
podium style building with the highest point reaching 8 storeys with each side being 6 storeys and 4 storeys. This building will become a landmark to the site without competing with the Institute for Learning. The design, height and massing of the building are major factors in keeping the campus’ future and existing buildings complementary. It will be located along Victoria Park Avenue and will be highly visible from the area surrounding the site. Densification is also exercised in design of the second building referred to as the T1 & T2 - Triangular Buildings. These will be located across from the Podium building and their central location will strongly support amenity services on the ground while providing office spaces as well. The design of the buildings will frame the central open space for employees to meet, eat or simply take a break. This vibrant area can be explored in order to get to the nearby IFL building. The Southwest building will also front onto Victoria Park Avenue, densifying this prime avenue with office space and animated store fronts for pedestrians and employees alike while hiding a parking garage in the centre.
8.2 Connectivity Connectivity is best represented in the design of the Triangular buildings (T1 and T2). The buildings will not only serve as office and amenity buildings, but will also act as a connecting element between the IFL and the Podium Building. Further, physical connections can be achieved between new and existing buildings throughout the site through a series of pedestrian bridges and ground-level walkways. The pedestrian bridge between the Triangular buildings will allow users to travel from one building to another without having to leave the building, which can be a useful and welcomed amenity during winter or other instances of adverse or inclement weather conditions. This bridge would be a permanent feature used year-round. The client has stressed that existing buildings feel disconnected
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from each other and from the site itself. Connecting the buildings to their surroundings can be achieved through thoughtful design that invokes a sense of purpose and continuity between buildings, open spaces and landscaping features. this has been exercised throughout all proposed buildings on the campus in their shape, placement and connection to public space.
8.3 Sustainability To achieve sustainable design within the site and optimize the site’s potential, it is vital to have a green and environmentally friendly framework throughout. Buildings proposed should follow green standards therefore, green design and infrastructure such as green roofs and landscaping should be implemented. The site has been designed to accommodate green design and infrastructure and achieving LEED certification through the campus approach, as discussed in section 3.6.3, is encouraged. Further exploring innovative technologies and approaches to stormwater management, such as water squares and stormwater ponds, will create a unique focal point for the public space on the site. These concepts will ensure a sustainable site that preserves the viability of the campuses existing infrastructure while ensuring environmental integrity for future development.
8.4 Interactivity The theme of Interactivity is addressed by focusing on the campus’ facility needs as well as the public space needs. Proper programming such as water squares, discussed in further detail in Section 3.6.1, will make the space come together as an interconnected mosaic of infrastructure and design, intended to create a welcoming campus-like aesthetic. The site is designed to be user-friendly while putting innovative urban design methods into practice that are consistent with the city’s guidelines. Features such as rock gardens, outdoor furniture and gathering spaces will help provide a greater sense of personal ownership, a corporate community as well as incentive to spend leisure time on the site. Figure 8.0 shows a drawn rendering of Victoria Park Ave facing north. It demonstrates how Victoria Park could be animated in an interconnected way through infrastructure and design that also connects the site to its surroundings. Figure 8.4 shows a rendering of what the public space connecting the POD and T1 & T2 buildings could look like. It is designed to denote how the centre of the site can be used as a way for the infrastructure to interact with the land, particularly the multi-use path network.
STEELES AVENUE EAST
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PHASE 2
PHARMACY AVENUE
VICTORIA PARK AVENUE
EX
T1
POD
T2
EX
SW P
GORDAN BAKER ROAD
Legends
Site Plan
SW Southwest Building
P
Parking
Figure 8.1: BMO Office Campus Site PlanPhase One
T1 Triangle 1 Building
T2
Triangle 2 Building
50 meters
POD Podium Building
EX
Existing Building
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Figure 8.4: Public Space facing T1, T2 and POD buildings
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9. The Master Plan -Phase Two
Phase two will explore opportunities for adding more amenities and services such as day cares,
libraries and retail for the convenience of BMO’s employees as well as the surrounding community. It is important that the campus is supported by services in order to help attract employees and talent. Employment opportunities will still remain present in this phase. Image 9.0 shows the potential massing of a phase two development that could be untertaken by BMO. It is designed to bring buildings to the street to create a walkable environment on Steeles Avenue while still preserving the campus feel. The internal road system would be expanded to connect phase two to phase one and the infrastructure would focus primarily on mixed uses combining retail with office spaces. Any additional parking could be hidden behind buildings to create a desirable streetscape along Victoria Ave, Steeles Ave and Pharmacy Ave.
Image 9.0: Phase 2
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10. Proforma Analysis
This proforma is a high level look at the projects expenses divided between hard costs and
soft costs. A Proforma is a section of a development report that provides detailed information to the developer about the exact costs of the development.
The hard costs are the prices of physical construction needs such as, cranes, concrete, glass, etc.
The hard costs also typically include the cost of purchasing the land. In the case of this project, the land is already owned by the Bank of Montreal, so this cost was negated. The soft costs for a project relate to any fees that the project could encounter. These include any planning fees, like rationale reports, studies, architectural drawings, as well as interest on loans, and other debt that may have been acquired for the project.
For this project the client provided us with cost estimates for various items. The costs given were
$250.00/sq. ft. of office space, $34,000.00/Stall of parking in a garage, and finally $300.00/stall of surface parking. Using these prices, we can calculate the estimated costs of the projects buildings and parking. These numbers were given to the group by the client. The total construction cost for the four buildings added to the site are estimated to be just under $154,700,000 and the total construction cost for all the parking, surface and structure, are estimated to be just under $41,000,000.00. This would bring our total hard costs to $195,585,000.00. The soft costs are broken down into the following major reports and studies; Planning Rationale, Shadow Study, Urban Design Guidelines, Environmental Impact Study, Noise Impact Study, Transportation Impact Study, and Parking Study. These are just some of the many reports and studies required by the City of Toronto, all of which can be found in the Toronto Development Guide. This brought the total soft costs to $3,836,872.30, divided through the numerous studies, and reports needed to bring a project to completion. There are some fees that are calculated based on both the hard and the soft costs. These are usually placed after the combined costs to add to the final project total. For this project the development fee and the consultancy fee were added after to provide a full total. These costs included a $7,976,874.89 development fee, and overall consultants fee of $25,924,843.40. These costs were estimated using a percentage, 4% for development and 13% for consultants, given to the group by the client. The overall cost of the project, hard and soft costs combined, gives a grand total of $233,323,590.59.
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Site Statistics Property Name
BMO Scarborough Campus Toronto, Canada 2,323,583.17 618,660 1600
City Property Size (SqF) Total GFA (SqF) Total Parking Stalls Hard Costs Cost/SqF Cost/Structure Parking Stall Cost/Surface Parking Stall
$ $ $
Building Information POD Square Footage Cost T1 Building Square Footage Cost T2 Building Square Footage Cost SW Building Square Footage Cost Parking Information Southeast Structure # of Stalls Cost SW Structure # of Stalls Cost Surface Parking # of Stalls Cost Interior Street Parking # of Stalls Cost Total Construction Costs
250.00 34,000.00 300.00
$
332,689 83,172,250.00
$
59,545 14,886,250.00
$
59,545 14,886,250.00
$
166,881 41,720,250.00
$
800 27,200,000.00
$
400 13,600,000.00
$
300 90,000.00
$
100 30,000.00
$
195,585,000.00
Development Fee
4% of Hard and Soft Costs
Consulting Fees
13% of Hard and Soft Costs
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Soft Costs Boundary Survey $ Planning Rationale Report $ Avenue Segment Review $ Topograhical Survey $ Building Mass Model $ Pedestrain Level Wind Study $ Sun/Shadow Study $ Architectural Control Guidelines $ Urban Design Guidelines $ Community Services/Facilities Study $ Contaminated Site Assessment $ Natural Heritage Impact Study $ Environmental Impact Study $ Archeological Assessment $ Arborist Tree Preservation Report $ Toronto Green Standards Checklist $ Noise Impact Study $ Vibration Study $ Geotechnical Study $ Servicing and Stormwater Management Report(s) $ Transportation Impact Study $ Parking Study $ Loading Study $ Traffic Operations Assessment $ Draft Ammendments $ Zoning Bylaw Amendment Fee $ Legal Service fee for S. 37 Agreement $ Plan of Subdivision Approval $ Site Plan Control $ Part Lot Control Exemption $ Minor Variance $ Total $
100,000.00 100,000.00 100,000.00 100,000.00 250,000.00 100,000.00 100,000.00 250,000.00 100,000.00 100,000.00 100,000.00 100,000.00 100,000.00 100,000.00 100,000.00 100,000.00 100,000.00 100,000.00 100,000.00 100,000.00 200,000.00 100,000.00 100,000.00 100,000.00 100,000.00 443,049.00 15,334.77 54,062.48 395,942.40 9,257.13 19,226.52 3,836,872.30
Combined Hard and Soft Costs Development Fee Consultancy Fee
$ $ $
199,421,872.30 7,976,874.89 25,924,843.40
TOTAL COSTS
$
233,323,590.59
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11. Recommendations
This section will outline the final recommendations for the Master Plan Office Campus. It will
be organized by the project objectives; Densification, Connectivity, Sustainability and Interactivity, and will address specific elements of the site.
11.1 Densification In order to ensure effective use of land through the development of the site, the team identifies densification as the key to tapping into the potential of the space available for both the Phase One and Phase Two sections of the site. The Office Campus in its current state presents a major opportunity for such as it is under-developed. The team proposed the creation of several new buildings to accommodate new employees. In order to achieve the objective of environmental sustainability and effective use of available space, the team recommends an intensified building ratio of mid-rise development than what currently exists as well as an organized, publicly shared space. This will create a vibrant urban atmosphere and provide office, retail and mixed use space to accommodate future employees as well as diversity in users. In addition, it is our recommendation that the client considers available avenue policies by the city of Toronto in the redevelopment of Victoria Park Avenue as growth continues in the area and on the BMO campus site. This will ensure improvement of the streetscape, pedestrian environment and public space as well as optimization of roads and transit service.
11.2 Connectivity Since there is a proposed internal road system that supports multimodal transportation methods within the campus, the team recommends that these mechanisms are practiced beyond the campus. This means exploring transportation options that support employees with their commute to and from the campus, not just within the campus. In bringing the site closer to adhering to Section 3.5 and 4.1.4 that outlines the aim of reducing auto-dependency, alternative transportation methods must be sought. These alternative methods can support what the team has already proposed for Phase One such as cycling and walking. It can also include shuttle bus services to and from major transit hubs. It is recommended that Phase Two developments continue to maintain the internal connections thus allowing for a continuous campus feel.
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11.3 Sustainability Sustainability has been identified as an objective of the Master Plan in order to ensure the viability of current infrastructure while preserving the environmental integrity for future development. It is recommended that green roofing be incorporated into building design which will adhere to Toronto’s Green Standard. As discussed in section 3.6, it is recommended that BMO follow the LEED Campus Approach and have campus wide certification. While the team encourages BMO to pursue LEED Gold or Platinum in lieu of LEED Silver, it is understood that it increases the costs of development. The LEED Campus Approach will simplify the process for phase 2 development as once the credit is achieved for the campus in phase 1, further projects on the campus will only need to indicate that they meet or exceed the standard to which the other infrastructure has been developed. This will be instead of going through individual LEED certification applications.
Further, it is the team’s recommendation that a stormwater management report be conducted to
identify the effects of a proposed development on the stormwater and drainage system, and to recommend how to manage rainwater and snowmelt. They are required for zoning bylaw applications. The team recommends that in the design of the public space west of the IFL, the client use the design strategy of a water square to address stormwater management. The hill on the southern portion of the site provides a risk for flooding and deep water penetration. To prevent and protect the campus a water square will be a unique, aesthetically pleasing landmark for the campus as it provides an open space where people can sit, meet and eat as well as address stormwater management constraints.
11.4 Interactivity Public interaction on the campus grounds can support the movement of goods and services and most importantly ideas. In keeping in adherence to Section 5.2: Complete Streets Guidelines, the campus will be able to support a vibrant public realm. The team recommends that elements such as street furniture and public art be used in a manner that also supports the built infrastructure on site while remaining consistent with city guidelines. The major way in which this can be realized is through future development on the corner of Victoria Park Avenue and Steeles Avenue. It is strongly recommended that a design be situated on this landmark location, found on the north part of the BMO campus facing Steeles Avenue. In doing this it sets a clear example of the type of interactivity that will be found throughout the site.
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12. Development Application Process
It is recommended that BMO submit a development application for the implementation of
this site. Before the submission of the complete application, a “pre-application” meeting with the city staff is required to discuss the proposal to ensure an efficient evaluation is made. This meeting is strictly intended to provide advice on what is required to submit the Complete Application.
The complete application submission should include; a pre-application meeting request, all
appropriate surveys of the site, a conceptual site plan which shows the siting of the proposed new building(s) on the property, any proposed setbacks, entrances, parking areas, landscaped and hard surface areas, as well as existing public and private trees and significant vegetation. Concept elevations and renderings that show proposed height, window and entrance locations, and balcony or roof amenity areas, as well as any other information that will assist in the review of the proposal should also be included.
A Complete Application is required after the Pre-Application Consultation, this facilitates the
understanding of the proposal by City Staff and the public and allows for a more efficient and punctual review process. Streamlining the Application Review (STAR) process, outlines the city’s timeline targets for reviewing this application. The STAR process applies to significant planning applications such as Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendments, Rezonings, Plans of Subdivisions and Condominiums, Site Plan Control and Part Lot Control Exemption Application.
The development proposal for the BMO Scarborough Campus falls into the complex stream of
planning applications as it is a large development with multiple approval processes such as Zoning By-law Amendment applications. The BMO Scarborough Campus requires a zoning-by law amendment application to be submitted for the proposed parking structures and the proposed new buildings as this is more than what the current by-law permits. An application for a site-specific amendment to the Zoning-by law is required for this application. A complete zoning by-law application for this site will include a series of background reports/studies and drawings.
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The table below will list reports and studies to be included with the Zoning-by law amendment
application for the BMO Scarborough Campus. Requirements of the City of Toronto Act, Planning Act and/or Regulations
Provision of additional information located in the Zoning By-law
Completed Application Form
Permission to produce copies for internal use and distribution to the public for reviewing the application
Boundary Survey
Boundary Plan of Survey (recent, accurately reflecting the existing property)
Appropriate plans and drawings
Plans and drawings drawn to a standard scale with general details
Planning Rationale
Description of pre-application consultation
Topographical Survey
Location of all vegetation, watercourses, natural features, artificial features on or adjacent to the site.
Building Mass Model
Digital model of the proposed development to allow staff to evaluate the physical impacts of the proposal
Architectural Control Guidelines
Direction regarding the achievement of the built form and public realm policies
Urban Design Guidelines
How the streets, parks, open space, buildings, built form and landscape elements of a new development will work together
Community Services/Facilities Study
Identification of current and required levels of social infrastructure required to support the health, safety and well being of local residents
Natural Heritage Impact Study
Proposed development’s potential impact on the natural heritage system
Environmental Impact Study
Impacts on aspects of the environment not adequately assessed in the Natural Heritage Impact Study
Toronto Green Standards Checklist
Set of performance measures with supporting guidelines related to sustainable site and building design for new development
Noise Impact Study
Impact of noise generated by a proposed development on the surrounding environment
Vibration Study
Impact of vibration generated by a proposed development on the surrounding environment
Geotechnical Study
Analysis of soil composition to determine structural stability and ability to accommodate development by conducting a subsurface investigation (prepared by expert)
Servicing and Stormwater Management Report
Impacts of the change in stormwater runoff on existing infrastructure and watercourses due to a proposed development.
Transportation Impact Study
Assess the transportation impact of a development.
Parking Study
Justify any deviation between this parking supply and the parking requirements of the applicable Zoning By-law.
Traffic Operations Assessment
Identify feasibility and safety of the existing and proposed access driveways and internal vehicle circulation
Draft Zoning By-law Amendment
A draft Zoning by-law amendment identifying proposed changes to the Zoning by-law required to permit a proposal
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A written decision will be given on the completeness of the status of the zoning bylaw application
within 30 days of submission and assign it a STAR stream. Within 14 days of the submission of the application, a sign will be posted on the subject property in accordance with the procedures outlined in the application form (Toronto Development Guide, 2011).
A community consultation meeting is held on all Zoning By-law amendments, this is to outline the
planning process to the public and an opportunity to publicly present the proposal as well as preliminary issues of concern. The planner assigned to the application will co-ordinate responses received for the purpose of revising the proposal. Depending on the nature of these comments, the client, BMO, may be required to revise the proposal. Resubmissions will be made indicating where changes have been made in the proposal, and a covering letter indicating why any requested revisions have not been made.
A Public Meeting will be conducted to consider the staff report and provide a public forum on the
debate on the merits of the application. Community Council will make recommendations on the application to the City Council for a final decision. This entire process is targeted to occur within 9 months of a complete application submission, however it is more likely that the process will take at least a year to complete. A notice of approval must be issued within 15 days of the Council’s decision, after this has been issued there is a 20 day period which a party can appeal the approval to the Ontario Municipal Board. If no appeal is submitted the amendment comes into full force and effect (Toronto Development Guide, 2011).
13. Closing Remarks
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The BMO Office Campus consisted of two phases in which proposals were developed based on
certain deliverables and expectations outlined by the client. As a result, the team has gone through multiple steps to meet and exceed these expectations. Throughout the duration of the project multiple stakeholders were involved in the process in order to come up with designs and ideas that complement the vision of the client. The consideration of these stakeholders enabled the team to think broadly and challenge the group to incorporate the expectations set out by the client while also conforming to the guidelines initiated by the City of Toronto. The team learnt the vigorous and complex procedures involved in the development process of a site, especially a large parcel of land such as this one. There are many crucial policy steps involved after a design has been proposed to be implemented. This allowed the team to understand that a development application getting approved by the City requires many studies and reports to be done. These reports and studies are essential to the work of city planners. Overall, the team now has substantial understanding of how multifaceted urban planning is based on the many layers and procedures that went into conducting the final development proposal for the BMO Office Campus.
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References Aviva Canada to Move to Downtown Markham. Urban Toronto. (2017). Urbantoronto.ca. Retrieved 9 March 2017, from http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2014/03/aviva-canadamove-downtown-markham Bird Friendly Development Guidelines. (2016, July). Retrieved April 7, 2017, from http://www1.toronto.ca/City%20Of%20Toronto/City%20Planning/ Environment/Files/pdf/B/BF%20Best%20Practices%20Glass_FinalAODA_Bookmarked.p df Canada Green Building Council. (2009). LEED Canada Reference Guide for Green Building Design and Construction. Design Vision and Park Master Plan. Illinois Science + Technology Park. (2017).Scienceparkillinois.com. Retrieved 9 March 2017, from http://www.scienceparkillinois.com/ISTP_vision Former City of Scarborough, Steeles Employment District Bylaw #24982, Designation of the Property at 4100 Gordon Baker Road, (July 2016). Print. Urban Toronto. (2017, February). Growth to Watch for 2017: North Scarborough. Retrieved from http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2017/02/growth-watch-2017-north-scarborough Victoria Park Avenue and Steeles Avenue - Urban Design Guidelines . (2004, June). Retrieved March 3, 2017, from http://www1.toronto.ca/city_of_toronto/city_planning/urban_design/files/pdf/39victo riapark_steel.pdf
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Appendix Title BMO Scarborough Office Campus Client BMO Financial Group Client Description BMO Financial Group is one of the 5 large Banks in Canada BMO has a Corporate Real Estate Group that manages all of BMO Real Estate Holdings Project Description
The BMO Scarborough Corporate campus was established 37 years ago . The Scarborough campus has a Secondary Data Center for BMO located on the site for 37 years ( see attached plan ) The Scarborough campus also has an Institute for Learning (IFL) Building located on the site for 23 Years It is a training facility for BMO employees (BMO employees from other locations will visit the IFL building). (see attached plan ) This building has hotel amenities, swimming pool, board rooms, cafeteria and internal courtyard. As well as a large atrium and boardrooms which are available for special BMO events. The BMO Scarborough Corporate campus site also has three 4 story office buildings + data Centre. Data Centre block (north block) is highly secure
Desired Products
Create a masterplan campus that is dedicated to BMO employees, but not limited to create space for community and open to public. The Campus is in Scarborough so the City of Toronto Urban Guidelines should be incorporated in the Master Plan Determine what City of Toronto approvals would be needed to move forward with this Masterplan like OPA/Zoning and/or Plan of Subdivision, Siteplan Approval etc etc The New and existing buildings need to be connected to create a true “campus” feel The campus needs to have a pedestrian feel but also allowing employee car access and transit access throughout the site Incorporate the existing geotechnical elevations and grading of the site to your advantage to make the project cost effective to Create an enhanced public realm and enhanced the landscaping to make a true connected campus with new and existing buildings Investigate if it is possible to create a transit oriented development to determine how an employee gets there if they don’t have a car. Is there future transit planned for this area? Max program area to be 500,000 sq. ft. being proposed. 200,000 sq. ft. increments while exploring design opportunities Floor plate size 45,000 sq. ft. +/Anticipated to be low rise building. BMO is open to have mixture of low and high rise if it works with the concept of the master plan
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2
Create a Masterplan campus like environment and give a sense of ownership to the employee IFL and SCC building are detached. Plan for physical connection between buildings Create campus that attracts employee/talent New campus design needs to be flexible to grow in the future. The increments of 200,000 sq. ft. building do not create isolated building but able to connect in the future City proposes to have public road that bisects the site in SW direction Existing green space is underutilized. Proposed design needs to activate the green space The existing buildings feel disconnected to the site create a Masterplan that connects New & existing building both from an Architectural perspective and a physical perspective . Parking requirement: o 5 space/1,000 sq. ft. (defined by BMO) o 3 to 4 spaces/1,000 sq. ft. (defined by City) o Determine if a parking Garages are required to meet the campus needs
Deliverables Phase 1: This option is based on a solution that includes a total of 3 new office buildings. Two of the office buildings are 4 storeys in height (no below grade levels) and have penthouses. The two buildings are connected with a 1-2 storey high glass enclosed atrium with an exterior courtyard. The spaces within the atrium will be amenity type area including conference space. The third building is 8 storeys in height (no below grade levels) and has a penthouse. The vision glass will be fitted where required to meet the City of Toronto bird friendly development guidelines. Determine what City of Toronto approvals would be needed to move forward with this Masterplan like OPA/Zoning and/or Plan of Subdivision, Siteplan Approval etc etc . All three office buildings will have separate independent shipping/receiving/garbage/ recycling areas accessible by large vehicles in accordance with the City of Toronto’s zoning by-law requirements. Allow for sustainability features for the buildings .The buildings should be LEED Silver Certified Parking for all three buildings is based on a combination of surface and parking garages. The solution includes a total of 3 new parking lots and 2 new parking garages (all three storeys with elevators). The parking garage at the southerly end of the site resolves the grade difference between the southerly 1/3 of the site and the remaining site by providing internal ramps to allow vehicle to access Gordon Baker Road from the main north/south internal road. Portions of the site remain un-changed in this Option which is clearly identified on the drawings.
2
3
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All new roadways on the site are to be designed and constructed to the City of Toronto standards with respect to the services, dimensions, right of way requirements, etc. Storm water management solutions for all three buildings are based on utilizing new ponds strategically located throughout the site – refer to the drawings. All swales and ponds are to be considered shallow and not require a fence. Phase 2 Maximize the available Density on the site and propose additional Buildings and Parking Garages Determine what City of Toronto approvals would be needed to move forward with this Masterplan like OPA/Zoning and/or Plan of Subdivision, Siteplan Approval etc etc Proforma Prepare a proforma on all cost associate with the Project . Break Proforma into 2 categories: - Phase 1 - 3 new office buildings & associated Parking Garages - Phase 2 - Maximize the available Density on the site and propose additional Buildings and Parking Garages Contact Dan Arts Director of Global Design and Construction dan.arts@bmo.com
3