City officials expect to close the sale of 2950 and 2970 Lake Shore Blvd. W., for use as a 95-bed municipal shelter by mid to late December if all goes well.

“Assuming there is not request for extension of due diligence it will be closing in mid to late December,” Loretta Ramadin, a Project Director of the City’’s Support and Housing Administration (SSHA) told members of  the community. The “last back out date is early November.”

Ramadin was talking to members of the Board of the Lakeshore Village BIA, staff of Councillor’s Mark Grimes office, SSHA and Barnes Management Group, the community engagement facilitator, in a virtual meeting on September 28 in an update of the proposed shelter, to be located at Lake Shore Blvd., and Eighth Street.

BIA officials are upset that Councillor Grimes did not show up for the much-anticipated meeting on the proposed shelter that has sparked a major controversy in his riding. Grimes has been silent on the issue.

When asked by BIA Chair Chris Korwin Kuczynski why Grimes was not in attendance.

Grimes’ assistant Kim Edgar said “this is the first of many meetings that will be held,” according to minutes of the meeting that was made available to the South Etobicoke News.

When queried about the more than $13 million the City is paying for the property, Ramadin said “the City has appraisals completed for the fair market value based on assembled, combined developmental costs.”

She said a former condo project was cancelled “due to the height of the proposed building.”
Edgar said the property owner decided to appeal to Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) because the City had not reported back in a timely manner.

“Owner approached the city and the opportunity presented itself to the city,” Ramadin noted.

She said the City selects a shelter location based on ‘building characteristics, proximity to TTC, property being available and other services in the area.”

“Homelessness exists everywhere in Toronto, including Etobicoke,” she said.

The group heard restrictions were lifted so there are no distance issues between the proposed shelter and nearby Women’s Habitat, which they say is a provincial organization, not a shelter.

Carolyn Doyle, of SSHA Community Engagement, urged the community to think of this as ‘providing a spotlight on the area programming needs of the area.’

It is “improving the area, and a new customer base of 95 beds,” Doyle said. This is ‘an example of a positive integration.’

She recalled that a City representative talked to area businesses to see how they were affected after a men’s shelter was opened in the Junction Place.

The business owners reported they did not notice a change in theft, noticed more men in the area, more mental health issues and ‘wrap around services needed.’

She said a community liaison committee will be formed with stakeholders if the proposed shelter goes through.

Engagement Facilitators will be in the area in the next month seeking input, sending out surveys and meeting with the community.

The matter goes before City council on October 5. There is expected to be a report to council by the end of October and any decision to back out is delegated to City staff.