City looks at funding for Wychwood Barns site
The city is looking to work with the non-profit company Toronto Artscape Inc. to look for alternative funding, in order to keep city costs of redeveloping the Wychwood car barns site to a minimum.
Last year, city council voted to create a park on the 4.32-acre city-owned site and will be retaining four of the five heritage barns for re-use as live/work artists’ lofts, a community arts centre, gardens and a greenhouse.
More than $140,000 has been raised, donated or set aside to add more green space on site. That part of the plan started in the spring.
Now the economic development culture and tourism (EDCT) department is asking for permission to enter into discussions with Artscape "regarding possible sources of capital funding for the adaptive re-use of the Wychwood car barns that would not require the city to assume significant financial responsibilities," stated a July 2 letter from the committee.
The city department also wants to research how much it will cost for remediation, servicing and planning approvals.
A 30-page report on this issue went to the administration committee on July 2, but the matter was deferred until the next administration committee meeting Sept. 4.
