RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the report entitled “Retention of Consultants to support the design of a New Amenity
Feature for The Remington Group lands in Markham Centre”
dated February 3, 2004 be received;
AND THAT Town staff be authorized to proceed
with the Request for Proposal (RFP) to engage three consultant teams in a
limited design competition for the Amenity Feature, according to the attached
Terms of Reference (Attachment A);
AND THAT Town staff be authorized to proceed
with the Request for Proposal (RFP) to engage a communications consultant to
support public information and consultation in the design process (Attachment
B);
AND THAT the correspondence dated January 27th, 2004 from The Remington Group,
confirming that funding for the consultants and other third party costs to
support the development of the new amenity feature will be paid by The
Remington Group, be received (Attachment C);
AND THAT Town staff report back to Development
Services Committee on the details of the design charrette and limited design
competition for the new amenity feature, prior to the design process being
undertaken.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this report is to obtain
authorization from Development Services Committee and Council to proceed with
two consultant services Request for Proposal (RFP) processes. The first RFP, included as Attachment A is
for the selection of three consultant teams to participate in a Town-lead,
developer-sponsored limited design competition. The design competition scope of work is outlined in the RFP.
It is important that public information and
public consultation play a major role in the design process for the new amenity
feature. Attachment B to this report
outlines a Request for Proposal (RFP) to engage communications support to
accompany the design process.
BACKGROUND:
Approved draft plan included central “park lake” feature
The implementation of the Town of Markham
vision for Markham Centre is well-established in the background documents published
to date including the Markham Centre Study, Town of Markham Official Plan
Amendment 21, Development Principles, Performance Measures and the Precinct
Plans for developments including for The Remington Group lands. The Remington
Group draft plan was approved in July 2003, and the applicant’s proposal
included a central “Park Lake” block. This central amenity feature was put
forward as the central feature of the development, a destination for visitors,
employees and residents and a focal point for the greater Markham
community. The land uses and built form
were organized around the central feature, emphasizing its importance to the
Downtown Markham area and the broader district of Markham Centre.
Alternate
central amenity area now proposed
In a letter to the Town of Markham, dated
December 3, 2003 from Mr. Rudy Buczolits of Ruland Properties (Remington
Group), the developer advised that a lake feature is no longer deemed a viable
and technically sustainable option for the Markham Centre amenity feature. At its meeting
held on December 9, 2003 Development Services Committee directed staff to work
with the developer to identify an alternate central open space feature for
Downtown Markham, commensurate to the value the lake feature would have
provided as a public amenity.
Following the direction by
Committee, staff met with Remington
Group representatives to discuss a number of process options to develop an
alternate feature. It is recommended that the process should incorporate a limited
design competition with a high level of public input, and include a charrette
or workshop in order to identify the quality and characteristics of a feature reflective of public expectations
for the types of programmes and activities to be developed in a new downtown.
The details and timing of the proposed process will be brought forward to
Committee and Council for endorsement at a later time.
Preparation for Design process should begin as soon as possible
The identification of a new feature
should be accomplished in an expeditious time frame. The ‘loss’ of the lake
feature has raised public concerns, and it is important to re-assure the public
that Remington and the Town are committed to the Downtown Plan, including a
central open space feature. The
Remington Group also wishes to bring resolution to the matter before proceeding
into the next phases of development, including zoning, first phase site plan
approvals and the marketing of the first residential buildings.
Moving forward with the early
selection of consultants will help to facilitate the timing in preparing for
the design process, including public involvement in the determination of the
new feature. The consultants
selected through the RFP process,
however, would not be retained until Council has endorsed the detailed process,
and a number of outstanding issues are addressed by the developer. These outstanding issues include the capital
budget for the feature and refinements to the overall parkland dedication arrangements.
DISCUSSION:
The intent of the new process will be to gain
significant public involvement in determining the programme elements of the new
feature and the best possible design scheme that can be achieved through a
limited competition. The deliverables in the design competition process will be
three alternatives for the central amenity feature in the Remington plan that
will replace Park Lake. These three
alternatives will be put forward for consideration by members of the public,
the Markham Centre Advisory Group, Development Services Committee and Council
in May, 2004.
The lake feature in the Remington plan has been
incorporated into a wide range of public documents, press releases, newsletters
and other media materials through the past number of years. The examination of
a replacement for the feature, the public input into the process to determine
it and the publication of the results of the design competition will require a
carefully conceived and executed communications strategy and plan. Remington
has agreed that a communications strategy should be incorporated into the
process and will fund the retention of a consultant to assist the Town in
developing the strategy and executing an agreed upon plan.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
The design process will be undertaken with an
upset fee of $ 100,000.00 which includes:
- Fees for three consultant teams ($ 15,000.00 per team)
- Communications
- Facilities, materials, expenses for the charrette/workshop
- Publication of results of three conceptual alternatives
The fee will be borne entirely by The Remington
Group (Attachment ‘C’).
___________________________________ _________________________________
Valerie Shuttleworth, M.C.I.P.,
R.P.P. Jim Baird, M.C.I.P.,
R.P.P.
Director of Planning & Urban
Design Commissioner of
Development Services
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A: RFP
Consulting Services – Selection of design consultants to develop a concept for
a new amenity feature in Markham Centre
Attachment B: RFP Consulting Services -- Selection of a communications
consultant to support the process to identify a new amenity feature in Markham
Centre
Attachment C:
Correspondence from the Remington Group
Q:\Development\Planning\Teams\Markham
Centre\Amentiy\remingtonfeaturereport03feb04.doc
