WHEREAS property, municipally known as 40 Beechcliffe Street, was acquired by the former Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton by expropriation in 1986, from Trendsetter Developments Limited (now amalgamated into Thomas C. Assaly Corporation Ltd). for the purpose of the southwest transitway extension; and
Whereas Council has identified a housing crisis in the City of Ottawa
Whereas City staff has identified a portion of 40 Beechcliffe Street, being approximately 0.75 ha in area, for a potential attainable and affordable housing development, with the remainder of the lands continuing to be retained for the purpose of infrastructure and future extension of the Light Rail Transit System;
WHEREAS on April 1, 2025, Finance and Corporate Services Committee in report ACS2025-SI-HSI-0010 declared part of 40 Beechcliffe Street surplus to municipal needs and Council on April 16, 2025 approved the transfer of it to a not-for-profit housing provider for the purpose of attainable and affordable housing; and
WHEREAS of the expropriated lands, the City intends to transfer parts 1, 2, 3, and 4 on a Reference Plan, 4R-37067, to a non-profit housing provider; and
WHEREAS Section 42 of the Ontario Expropriations Act provides that an expropriating authority is to provide the expropriated Owner first-right-of-refusal in the event the expropriating authority no longer needs the lands; and
WHEREAS the Expropriations Act further provides the expropriating authority with the ability to waive the right of first refusal, with the approval of the approval authority; and
WHEREAS in the instance of the City of Ottawa, it is both the successor to the expropriating authority and to the approval authority; and
WHEREAS the report to Finance and Corporate Services Committee did not address the expropriation of the property;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Finance and Corporate Services Committee recommend to Council that the right of first refusal pursuant to the Expropriations Act, section 42 in respect that portion of 40 Beechcliffe Street, being parts 1, 2, 3, and 4 Reference Plan 4R-37067 be waived on the basis that the subject lands are being transferred for nominal value to a not-for-profit housing provider in order to meet the City's housing priorities,