Residents and members of the Lakeshore Village BIA are up in arms after learning the City of Toronto plans to open a massive multi-bed municipal shelter in a prime location at 2950 and 2970 Lake Shore Blvd. W., at Eight St.

Talks have been underway since last November for the City to obtain the high-traffic location that was occupied for decades by a now vacant four-storey office building and former Bi Way store.

The acquisition was adopted on July 7 by the General Government and Licensing Committee and will be considered by City Council on July 28.

The financial information was not provided in Council documents since they claim the info can affect their bidding position.

BIA Chair Chris Korwin-Kuczynski says his members are furious since no one, including the City Councillor, notified the community about the pending acquisition.

“This was very sneaky,” he fumed. “This is a very important decision for the BIA and residents and no one told us it was in the works.”

The BIA will try to defer the July 28 meeting until public consultations are held by the community.

The City has deemed the property “as the only available viable option, with a willing seller, that is strategically located in the southwest area of Etobicoke.”

“The use of the property as a municipal shelter will support City Council’s direction to expand the number of permanent new shelter beds by 1,000,” according to documents filed.

The City said the two properties ‘create a large-sized property that allows flexibility in responding to changes in shelter standards and demand as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.’

Officials with the City’s Shelter, Support and Housing Administration say in response to the virus more space will be required with a two-metre separation between beds and other distance requirements.

“All new shelters, including the property, are being designed so that they may be converted into housing in the future,” according to the City. “As demand for municipal shelters changes, the property can be partly or wholly transitioned into supportive or transitional housing.”

Preliminary site investigations have been completed and sufficient funds for renovation and remediation have been made available.

If City Council approves the acquisition of the properties, renovation to shelter standards will commence in 2021 for the shelter to begin operations in 2022. It is estimated that it will contain about 100 beds.

The shelter will serve equity-seeking groups such as seniors, people with disabilities, individuals with mental health issues, the working poor, Indigenous people, people who identify as LGBTQ2S and other vulnerable groups.

The motion before City Council can be viewed here http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2020.GL14.11