Reconsidering bus terminal relocation will cost $30,000 and take up to six months

City Council's new willingness to consider demolishing the downtown bus terminal at Dennis and Queen to build a new terminal there may not be as simple as councillors were thinking.

In a report placed on the agenda for Monday's City Council meeting, the city's chief administrative officer says rethinking the issue will require an amended environmental process.

Malcolm White's report says that change will cost the city $30,000 and take up to six months

At their last meeting on June 14, councillors were to have voted on finding a consultant to finish construction drawings and tendering to add the terminal to the current bus barn/administration complex at 111 Huron St.

Instead, they directed that proper consideration also be given to demolishing the existing downtown terminal and rebuilding it at the same site.

A SooToday scientific poll found our readers overwhelmingly reject 111 Huron, preferring rebuilding at Dennis and Queen.

Here's the full text of White's report, as it appears on the agenda of Monday's City Council meeting:

June 28, 2021

TO: Mayor Christian Provenzano and members of City Council

AUTHOR: Malcolm White, CAO

DEPARTMENT: Chief Administrative Officer

RE: Dennis Street Terminal Relocation – Referral Resolution Process

Purpose

To provide council with information concerning the scope and process to be followed in addressing the referral resolution passed by Council at the 2021 06 14 council meeting.

Background

At the 2021 06 14 council meeting, during the consideration of the Dennis Street terminal relocation report, the following referral resolution was passed:

Resolved that the Dennis Street Terminal Relocation be referred to staff to research and report back with additional information regarding the feasibility of constructing a new terminal at the existing Dennis Street and Queen Street East site, including potential costs and long-term operational implications.

As outlined in the staff report accompanying the Environmental Assessment (EA) report, the potential relocation of the transit terminal to 111 Huron Street has been before council a number of times in the past few years, specifically through approval of ICIP [Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program] transit funding proposals and the approvals required for the present EA process.

Analysis

Simply put, the process staff will follow to research and report back on the matter of constructing a new terminal at the existing Dennis Street location and providing further information to council does not change the scope of the current EA process.

Council will be provided with feasibility and costing information to the same level as the terminal relocation and existing terminal renovation options in the initial report.

We expect this report to be submitted to the July 12, 2021 council meeting.

During council’s consideration of the referral resolution at the last meeting, there was a consensus that staff should also provide information regarding the process to consider relocating the terminal to other potential sites in the downtown area.

To research and report on these considerations would require at least an amended EA process.

It is likely that instead of a Schedule A+ process the EA would need to follow a Schedule B process, particularly if any potential location was near residential property.

Proceeding with this process would involve additional costs (approximately $30,000) and time (approximately four to six months) before a report could be returned to council for consideration.

Financial Implications

There are no financial implications associated with this report.
 

Strategic plan / policy impact

This report specifically addresses matters not articulated in the strategic plan.

Recommendation

It is therefore recommended that council take the following action:

Resolved that the report of the CAO dated 2021 06 28 concerning Dennis Street Terminal Relocation – Referral Resolution Process be accepted as information.

Respectfully submitted,
Malcolm White, CAO

Monday's City Council meeting will be livestreamed on SooToday starting at 4:30 p.m.