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7. 88 Bellwood
(Formerly St. Margaret Mary Primary School) 88, rue bellwood (l’ancienne école catholique St. Margaret
Mary) |
Committee Recommendations, as amended
1. That the Proposal to
Preserve a Unique Public Space be presented to Council for the purpose of
considering a public-private partnership which would retain at least part of
the 88 Bellwood property site (formerly St. Margaret Mary Catholic School) for
City of Ottawa community use.
2. That the City of Ottawa
declare an interest in the 88 Bellwood property (formerly St. Margaret Mary
Primary School), and request the School Board to give the community, the City
and a private developer an opportunity to prepare a private/public partnership,
which will purchase the property from the School Board for re-development with
both private and public components.
1. Que la Proposition Pour Préserver Une Espace
Publique Unique soit présentée au Conseil afin de considérer une
proposition publique-privée qui retiendra au moins une partie de 88 Bellwood
(l’ancienne école catholique St. Margaret Mary) pour l’usage communautaire.
2. Que la Ville d’Ottawa
manifeste son intérêt à l’égard de la propriété située au 88 de l’avenue
Bellwood (l’ancienne école primaire St. Margaret Mary) et demande au conseil
scolaire de donner à la collectivité, à la Ville et à un promoteur du secteur
privé l’occasion de former un partenariat privé-public qui fera l’acquisition
de ladite propriété auprès du conseil scolaire afin de la réaménager en y
incluant des composantes privées et publiques.
Documentation
1. Councillor C. Doucet report dated 10 July
2002 is immediately attached (ACS2002-CCS-HRS-0011).
2. Extract of Draft Minutes of 18 Ju1y 2002
will be circulated prior to the Council meeting.
Report to/Rapport au:
Health, Recreation and
Social Services Committee
Comité
de la santé, des loisirs et des services sociaux
and
Council/et au Conseil
10 July
2002/le 10 juillet 2002
Submitted by/Soumis
par: Clive Doucet,
Councillor/conseiller,
quartier Capital Ward
Contact/Personne-ressource:
Councillor C. Doucet, Conseiller
Quartier Capital
Ward
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Ref N°: ACS2002-CCS-HRS-0011 |
SUBJECT: 88 BELLWOOD
OBJET: 88
BELLWOOD
REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That the Proposal
to Preserve a Unique Public Space be presented to Health, Recreation, and
Social Services (HRSS) for the purpose of considering a public-private
partnership which would retain at least part of the 88 Bellwood property site
(formerly St. Margaret Mary Catholic School) for City of Ottawa community use.
Que la Proposition Pour Préserver Une Espace
Publique Unique soit présentée au comité de la santé des loisirs et des
services sociaux afin de considérer une proposition publique-privée qui
retiendra au moins une partie de 88 Bellwood (l’ancienne école catholique St.
Margaret Mary) pour l’usage communautaire.
Councillor C. Doucet is submitting the Proposal to Preserve
a Unique Public Space for review by the Health, Recreation and Social Services
Committee and asking that the City consider a public-private business plan for
the development of 88 Bellwood .
Councillor Doucet’s office
and the Ottawa South Community Association (OSCA) have both received numerous
petitions to retain the 88 Bellwood site as a public resource for community use
(see attachments). Residents are concerned that the loss of this valuable
community resource would increase pressure on the overburdened social and
recreational infrastructure of Old Ottawa South.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
N/A
Attachment 2 –
Submission from Michael Jenkin,
President. , Ottawa South
Community Association
Secretariat staff will notify the affected parties, in consultation with the Ward Councillor’s Office, once Council has approved this item.
88 Bellwood
A Proposal to the City of Ottawa,
Health, Social Services and Recreation Committee
to Preserve a Unique Public Space
The Ottawa South Community Association
July 18, 2002
Introduction
The Ottawa Carleton Catholic School Board
(OCCSB), having decided to close St. Margaret Mary School at 88 Bellwood Avenue
in Old Ottawa South, began the property
disposal process on May 1, 2002 (Attachment 1). The property is a 12-classroom building located on 0.7 acre of
grass and playground. If none of the
agencies or institutions with right of first refusal on the property step
forward to assume ownership by July 29, 2002, the property could be sold on the
open market and a rare public asset will be lost forever.
Of particular concern are the implications
for Bytown Co-operative Children's Centre, which has offered licensed nursery school and daycare services to 50
families a year at 88 Bellwood since 1980.
An intense search for alternative space for Bytown in Old Ottawa South
has proven fruitless. Bytown has been
full and maintains a waiting list each year.
The demand for childcare in this community currently exceeds the number
of spaces available, and with the loss of these 50 spaces, families will find it even more difficult to
access licensed childcare. Currently
the centre serves children who attend kindergarten classes in neighbourhood
schools. Projected kindergarten class
sizes for Hopewell Avenue Public School are in excess of 150 children for the
coming September 2002. Projected class
sizes for Corpus Christi School are just over 100. Clearly Ottawa families cannot afford to lose this childcare
service (Attachment 2).
We believe all the right elements exist to
develop an innovative venture to prevent these losses, with minimal drain on
the City's budgetary resources and maximum benefits realized by the citizens of
Ottawa. A major element of this
venture is the provision of venues and
programming for budding visual and performing artists from the entire city
area. This will only work, however,
with the City's commitment to purchase the building and bridge the capital carrying
costs while a self-financing project is established.
We envision a small-scale, centrally
located public facility that includes outdoor play and park area, and a
building where space is shared among the City's main festival organizations,
arts and music educators, Bytown Children's Centre, and other community program
providers. The facility will be
developed as a non-profit corporation, and managed by a community-based board
of directors .
Background
Old Ottawa South is undergoing tremendous demographic change and growth, most visible in the increasing numbers of children 15 years and under, and burgeoning primary school enrolments. This growth is expected to continue to 2020 and beyond, placing further demands on community services and facilities (Attachment 3). Capacity for responsiveness to growing and changing community needs is already hindered by the scarcity of centrally located public space within walking distance of all Old Ottawa South residents (Attachment 4). If the property is sold on the open market, it will likely be converted to housing, thereby increasing the demand on the already overtaxed social and recreational structure of Old Ottawa South. In this context, it becomes especially critical that existing public facilities are retained for the long term benefit of all.
In May and June 2002, several arts groups
and festival organizers wrote to Councillor Clive Doucet and OSCA declaring
their support for maintaining 88 Bellwood as a public resource, stating their
strong interest in using portions of the space for administrative and
community-based arts purposes, and offering to share their expertise and
capacity in terms of financing strategies and management (Attachment 5). Moreover, local artists have expressed their
interest in renting studio space at 88 Bellwood (Attachment 6) The Suzuki School of Music (Attachment
7) and the Folklore Centre have also keenly expressed similar interests.
Some 125 Old Ottawa South residents – many
recently moved into the neighbourhood –
attended a special meeting on June 12, 2002 (Attachment 9) and spoke to
the importance of maintaining 88 Bellwood as a public asset. Their discussion stressed the growth of the
community, the needs of their growing families, their concerns over the potential
loss of Bytown, and the advantages of shared use of the site by different
programs and agencies, in other words a place that connects people of different
interests, needs and ages to each other.
These views were reinforced in questionnaire answers people provided
before leaving the meeting.
88 Bellwood: a Revitalized Civic Space
We envision a small-scale, centrally
located public facility that includes outdoor play and park area, and a
building where space is shared among the City's main festival organizations,
arts and music educators, Bytown Children's Centre, and other community program
providers. We believe this vision is
supportive of and consistent with the principles of Charting a Course:
! A
Responsible and Responsive City: OSCA has initiated a process of
information sharing and consultation with the citizens of Old Ottawa South and
interested city organizations on the re-deployment of 88 Bellwood. This is about converting an existing
public asset from a school resource to a broader community resource. We bring together a city wide partnership
including the arts community, childcare and after-four program providers, and
private organizations, with plans to involve other levels of government to the
fullest extent possible.
! A
Caring and Inclusive City: Our discussions in the community have
brought to our attention the dearth of programs responsive to the needs of
Francophone families in Old Ottawa South, and surrounding neighbourhoods. Providing a venue for French language
programs for people of all ages is an important component of our proposed
venture for 88 Bellwood.
! A
Creative City Rich in Heritage, Unique in Identity: Central to
our vision for a renewed 88 Bellwood is the provision of opportunities for
artistic and musical expression, recital and exhibition space and the lodging
of City festival organizations.
! A
Green and Environmentally Sensitive City: 88 Bellwood
boasts numerous mature trees and a recently refurbished children's play
yard. Volunteers in the community have
historically created and tended gardens surrounding the building and grassy
areas. 88 Bellwood is within 2 short
blocks of 3 major OC Transpo routes, within easy access of bicycle paths and
virtually within walking distance from all corners of Old Ottawa South.
! A
City of Distinct, Liveable Communities: The impetus to preserve 88 Bellwood is rooted in a
powerful sense of community and shared stewardship of public resources and the
environment.
! An
Innovative City Where Prosperity is Shared Among All:
Urban villages such as Old Ottawa South are growing, the pressure on
their infrastructure is increasing, and there is very little land available to
create the kind of social and recreational infrastructure to support this
population. Ottawa citizens and the
City must find new ways to expand this infrastructure, and the solution may be
in innovative use of existing public buildings, such as schools that have been
closed. A facility offering daycare,
artists workshops, arts and festival organizations offices, a music school and
community programming, would provide another model to other urban
neighbourhoods facing similar pressures.
Realizing the Vision
We propose that the City signal its
interest to purchase 88 Bellwood from the OCCSB before July 29, 2002, and operate
as the bridging owner for a period not extending beyond January 2004. During that period, a separate non-profit
corporation will be created, under the name 88 Bellwood, governed by a
board comprising representatives of the Arts Advisory Committee , the Council
for the Arts in Ottawa, festival organizations, Bytown Children's Centre,
Ottawa South Community Association, City of Ottawa, and several
members-at-large. This board will
develop the site and ultimately assume responsibility for its management.
The 88 Bellwood board will initially
secure funds to retain the requisite expertise to ensure a successful
project. Commitments are already in
place from Bytown Children's Centre and private citizens in Old Ottawa South
which will enable the board to hire a consultant for the start-up phase of the
project. Proposals will be submitted to the Community Economic
Development Technical Assistance Program (CEDTAP), and other funding sources to
support further activity . In addition,
a door-to-door fund-raising blitz is planned.
We require that the City buy the school and
carry the facility until 88 Bellwood is prepared to assume ownership and
management on a self-financing basis.
Our approach seeks to minimize financial costs to the City. It would be worthwhile investigating
whether the City could negotiate a purchase and sale agreement with the
principal due upon transfer of the property to the 88 Bellwood non-profit
corporation, thereby requiring the City to make interest payments only in the
interim period.
Operating costs (heat, light, water,
cleaning and maintenance, snow removal) during this interim period, estimated
between $40,000 to $50,000 per year (attachment 9), will be covered through
leases with Bytown ($20,000), and other tenants who will be offered space at
$10.00 sq. ft. which is well within market rates. This is expected to generate a minimum of $30,000 in revenue.
In summary, what we are asking the City to
do is essentially provide bridge financing for this project so that it can
become self-sustaining. Given the
limited time available it has proved difficult to develop a full business plan
for the project by now. Nevertheless,
we believe that a credible funding case can be made in light of the level of
interest expressed in using this facility from a significant number of
organizations. If the City were willing
to exercise its option to purchase the property, which must be done by July 29,
2002, it could obtain it for a price (its assessed value) which is considerably
below its current worth on the open market.
This differential, which we believe would be significant, would protect
the City’s financial position in any transaction. Indeed, one option that could well be taken up might be to make a
part of the site available for commercial development and allow the proceeds
from that development to defray the costs of acquisition and any renovation the
building will require.
Conclusion
Old Ottawa South is a growing, family-based
neighbourhood whose infrastructure and facilities are currently stretched well
beyond their capacity. We urge the
Standing Committee on Health, Recreation and Social Services to recognize we
have a once in a lifetime, and extremely time limited opportunity to avoid
losing 88 Bellwood to the public good forever.
We are confident that 88 Bellwood can be
preserved for public use through a consortium of community, public and private
interests that will ultimately cost the City very little. This presents the City of Ottawa with an
ideal, minimal risk possibility for demonstrating Ottawa 20/20 in action, by
empowering citizens to retain and revitalize their social and recreational
infrastructure.
We hope you will champion this proposal to
City Council on July 24, 2002 in order to avert the placing of 88 Bellwood on
the open market after July 29, 2002.
Attachments: (On file with the City Clerk)
1. OCCSB Disposal Notice Letter
2. Bytown Cooperative Children's Centre: letter and business plan
3.
Under 15 population growth in Old
Ottawa South
4.
Old Ottawa South chapter from Connecting
Communities: A Re-investment Plan for Capital Ward
5. Letters from arts and festival organizations
6. Letter from local artist
7. Statement of interest from Suzuki School of Music
8. June 12 public meeting: notice and signatures of people in attendance
9. Operating costs for 88 Bellwood building, September 2000 to August 200
ATTACHMENT 2
OSCA
260 Sunnyside Ave,
Ottawa, Ont. K1S 0R7
Tel: (613) 247-4872/247-4946, Fax: 247-2114,
Email: osca@cyberus.ca,
Web: www.OldOttawaSouth.ca
16 July 2002
Councillor
Alex Munter
Chairperson
Health,
Recreation and Social Services Committee
City
of Ottawa
Ottawa
City Hall
110
Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa
Ontario
K1P
1J1
Dear
Mr. Munter,
I am writing to you as Chair of the Health, Recreation and Social
Services Committee concerning a proposal that has been submitted by a community
working group for the consideration of the Committee concerning the former St.
Margaret Mary Catholic Elementary School, located at 88 Bellwood Avenue in Old
Ottawa South. I understand this
proposal has already been submitted and circulated to committee members.
The documentation, prepared by a working group established by OSCA,
provides an overall summary of the proposal and letters of support from various
community and other groups. I would
urge you to read it carefully as it represents the efforts of a large number of
community volunteers. The significant level
of public support for this proposal is, we believe, unprecedented. The support underscores the fact that with
the rapidly growing need for more community facilities in Old Ottawa South it
is essential we secure this rare resource.
If we do not act now it will be irrevocably lost and there are no other
comparable resources available for acquisition in the community to meet current
and future needs.
The essence of the proposal is to establish a partnership involving a number of community, social service and
cultural organizations and private sector interests to turn 88 Bellwood into a multi-use facility providing day care
facilities, community programming space, arts and music education, and
administrative offices, as well as a play and recreational green space for
children in the community.
The working group members look forward to discussing this proposal with
you and City staff at your earliest convenience. I understand that members of the working group will be presenting
their case to you at your July 18 meeting about this matter.
Yours sincerely,
Michael
Jenkin
Michael Jenkin
President
c.c. Clive
Doucet,
Councillor for Capital Ward