Evidence of meeting #137 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was rfp.
A video is available from Parliament.
4:20 p.m.
Vice-President, Innovation, Sustainability and Prosperity, Waterfront Toronto
That's absolutely correct.
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
In terms of the proposal that has been released to the newspaper, is that a proposal that's been shared with Waterfront Toronto?
4:20 p.m.
Chief Development Officer, Waterfront Toronto
Waterfront Toronto has seen elements of that, but not all of it. We certainly haven't seen a full proposal. As you said, that is a proposal, and we will evaluate it along with our government partners.
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
You said this morning that there was a rush, that this deal has been rushed. Has a deal been reached yet?
4:20 p.m.
Chief Development Officer, Waterfront Toronto
No. We are only at the very early stages, in fact.
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
4:20 p.m.
Chief Development Officer, Waterfront Toronto
It's not rushed. We're working very hard, and we're doing very deep analysis. We're not rushing.
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
There have also been suggestions that this is a federal government project, and that our government brought you this project.
Who reached out to Google first? When did you first become aware that Google was interested in property or a project on the waterfront?
4:20 p.m.
Chief Development Officer, Waterfront Toronto
Personally, I was not in the first round. A fellow in our office used to work for the City of New York, and there's an email in the auditor's report that shows he reached out to his previous boss and said, “I hear you guys are doing some interesting things. We're doing some market sounding and we'd love to hear what you're doing.”
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
Did anybody in the Prime Minister's Office bring you Google?
4:20 p.m.
Chief Development Officer, Waterfront Toronto
No, we've had no contact with the Prime Minister's Office.
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
Thank you.
In terms of how this process is going forward, will whatever development agreement you reach on the 12-acre piece of land be subject to full city scrutiny?
4:20 p.m.
Chief Development Officer, Waterfront Toronto
Absolutely. We will have to go through all rezoning, committee of adjustment and building permits, and all of that.
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
If you're to use city property, like roads or public spaces, that are currently part of that project and run through that project, will it require full City of Toronto consent before any infrastructure attached to the rest of the public infrastructure is touched?
4:20 p.m.
Chief Development Officer, Waterfront Toronto
Absolutely, through the subdivision process. That's what we always do.
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
You can't place one single sensor on any infrastructure without City of Toronto approval.
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
You have a City of Toronto councillor on your board now, do you not? Is that City of Toronto councillor the only politician who sits on the board?
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
I recognize in the past it was Joe Pantalone and David Miller who sat on the board. It's currently Joe Cressy.