GTA October

F O R B U I L D I N G O W N E R S , A S S E T A N D P R O P E R T Y M A N AG E R S

VOL. 26 NO. 4 • OCTOBER 2019

MASSEY HALL MAKEOVER

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTENTS 06

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COVER STORY

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CIVIC LANDMARK, CULTURAL TALISMAN Massey Hall readying to receive new generations of artists and their audiences

11 IN THIS ISSUE

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HOUSING NOW LOOKS TO THE LONG-TERM City of Toronto development initiative includes 99-year affordable rental tenure

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NEW RUN FOR CLASSIC EDITION Former publishing headquarters set for mixed-use revival

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BRAKES ON STRAINS Workplace ergonomic and respiratory risks scheduled for scrutiny

“AN INVESTMENT IN MASSEY HALL IS AN INVESTMENT IN THE FABRIC OF TORONTO.” EILEEN COSTELLO, CHAIR, BOARD OF GOVERNORS, THE CORPORATION OF MASSEY HALL & ROY THOMSON HALL

PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT

CIVIC LANDMARK,

CULTURAL TALISMAN

Massey Hall readying to receive new generations of artists and their audiences

BY BARBARA CARSS

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OCTOBER 2019

PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT

L

ayers of heritage context and grime exemplify the nuanced judgement and painstaking artisanship enlisted in the revitalization of Toronto’s beloved Massey Hall. Phase two of a $142-million, multi-year refurbishment and expansion project is bringing the 125-yearold concert hall’s obscured glories back to light, while adding supporting features and amenities that 21st century performers and audiences increasingly demand.

“A lot of things won’t change. We want the hall to feel the same for artists,” Marianne McKenna, the design architect and founding partner of KPMB Architects, told a recent gathering hosted by the Toronto Urban Land Institute (ULI) Women’s Leadership Initiative. “There will be a whole new level of ambience that complements the hall itself.”

Key elements involve: sensitively rehabilitating aging interiors, including the Moorish style plaster ceiling that has sported a wire mesh guard for the past 50 years; constructing a seven-storey addition on a newly acquired adjoining land parcel; forging an aesthetically and functionally appropriate transition between old and new structures; and restoring 100 stained glass windows, some which have been long hidden behind boarding.

With the work now beyond the halfway point, women with leading roles shared their experiences and professional insight — expressing a sense of pride and responsibility as they make an imprint on a building that is both a civic landmark and embedded in Canada’s cultural psyche.

“It’s the Holy Grail of live music,” asserted Eileen Costello, Chair of the Board of Governors of the non-profit corporation

that operates Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall and a partner with Aird & Berlis LLP. “An investment in Massey Hall is an investment in the fabric of Toronto.”

“People talk about the first time they went there as if it was a rite of passage,” McKenna concurred.

This project is the most extensive of a series of renovations and alterations over the years, from the 1911 installation of fire escapes to the arrival of central air conditioning nearly 80 years later. Until now, a 1933 intervention brought the most noteworthy changes. That’s when the lobby was enlarged and redesigned in the popular Art Deco style of the day and the balcony's back riser was removed to make way for a lounge.

The hall's configuration is almost invariably described as an "intimate" space between artists and audience. Musician and Board of Governors’ member Miranda Mulholland is among the few with a perspective from both sides of that cozy divide.

She recalled her first visit: “My Nana took me to see Cats”; and her band’s first performance: “We felt like we were part of the hall.”

A new generation of technology brings flexibility to adjust that dynamic further.

This time, via a robot-controlled retractable seating system that can literally transform the orchestra into a mosh pit.

“It’s a little engineering feat of moving 600 or 700 seats,” McKenna said.

UNPACKING MEANING As lead heritage consultant, Dr. Sharon Vattay, a principal with GBCA Architects, is tasked with prioritizing the architectural, www.REMInetwork.com

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PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT

Above, left to right: Miranda Mulholland, Eileen Costello, Sharon Vattay, Elise Guerra, Marianne McKenna. Photos by Jag Gundu/Roy Thomson Hall.

“PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE FIRST TIME THEY WENT THERE AS IF IT WAS A RITE OF PASSAGE.” historical and cultural significance of the various vintages of elements — a determination that doesn’t necessarily default to the oldest version or original intent. For example, even though the ’30s era Art Deco lobby is incongruous with the overarching architectural tribute to Spain’s Alhambra Palace, it has long since come to be viewed as a defining characteristic of Massey Hall’s charm.

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“That’s the one we identified as having heritage value,” Vattay said. “The value is not just in the bricks and mortar.”

Similarly, removal of the distinctive fire escape stairs, a fixture on the exterior for 107 years, was not without contemplation.

“It’s a layer of history. One of the things we did grapple with at the beginning was losing that layer,” she reported.

However, the trade-off is deemed a superior solution. The glazed passerelles

that take the stairs’ place will link the concert hall to the new south building, providing safe egress and giving foot traffic a previously unattainable perspective of the heritage facade and newly restored stained glass windows.

“People will be able to look at the colour of the glass and the restoration very intimately,” McKenna advised.

Inside the hall, the persistently crumbling ceiling is intrinsic to the original Moorish architectural concept and the experience within the space. It will be conserved, but with the installation of upgraded acoustical plaster stage-side to enhance performers’ audio feedback.

“The plaster ceiling is the most challenging heritage element in the hall,” Vattay reiterated.

“There was a ton of dirt up there, which probably makes the acoustics really great,” McKenna quipped.

As part of the highly skilled team of stained glass conservationists, Elise Guerra has likewise been immersed in dirty work. Accumulated soot, dust and bird droppings coated the window surfaces, marring the colours, patterns and images of renowned musicians.

“We dismantled every window piece by piece like a huge puzzle, cleaned every single piece and assembled them again,” Guerra explained. “It’s (takes) a lot of patience. But it will change everything on the building.”

Two Toronto-based firms, Eve Guinan Design and Vitreous Glassworks, shared the complex and delicate work. Glass of the same type as the original is still manufactured in the United States, partly easing the logistics of replacing broken or damaged pieces in line with the heritage restoration protocol. Where necessary, conservationists cut new pieces and, in some cases, hand painted sections that could not be matched.

“It’s what I call the jewels of the project,” Costello asserted.

And they’ll cast their beauty in two directions. Light filtering into the concert hall will regain its 19th century tones, while, outside, dowdy plywood patches — already in place when a 10-year-old Gordon Lightfoot played the Kiwanis Music Festival — will finally come down.

NEW SPACE, ENDURING COMMITMENT In addition to the pivotal players taking part

PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT

Building Envelope Repairs Balcony Modernization Parking Structure Rehabilitation

© DAVROC & ASSO C IAT ES LT D.

in the evening’s discussion, women were instrumental in securing the site for the new seven-storey adjoining facility. Costello saluted her peer, Cynthia MacDougall of McCarthy Tétrault LLP, who led the complicated negotiations with developers of a neighbouring condominium tower and the city of Toronto. Under the deal, the 4,800-square-foot parcel was deemed a public benefit and transferred to Massey Hall in return for greater development density on the developers’ Yonge Street site.

The arrangement actually fulfills the benefactor’s thwarted vision. “Massey himself wanted it, but he couldn’t get that property,” McKenna noted.

In an era when every performance was unplugged, the original configuration was centred on the core functions of entertaining and be entertained. “The entire site is taken up by the auditorium and the four corner stairwells,” Vattay affirmed.

The new south building at last provides adequate space for back-of-house facilities — better accommodating casts, sets, equipment and multi-tasking during intermissions. “Like probably every woman here, I am looking forward to being able to get a drink and go to the bathroom,” Mulholland joked, in reference to the notorious scarcity of both types of services.

At the same time, the new building reinforces a commitment to nurturing and advancing the performing arts. A 500-seat-capacity venue on the fourth floor will provide a mid-sized option along with the historic concert hall and a smaller performance space in Massey Hall’s basement level Centuries bar.

Costello stressed the importance of C performers’ end-user insight on the board M of governors and praised their contribution Y to decision-making. “As an artist under CM the lights, looking out, you have a certain perspective on what you want to see,”MY CY Mulholland agreed.

Meanwhile, a discussion billed as: TheCMY Women Behind the Revitalization of Massey K Hall, happily celebrated a ceiling that isn’t glass. Participants from differing disciplines and stages of their careers had differing views of the uniqueness of the experience, but unanimously called it positive.

“I used to work in France. There, when you are on a site, you are (one of) maybe one or two women,” Guerra said. “Here, working on Massey Hall with all these women, it is amazing.” ■

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PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT

HOUSING NOW LOOKS TO

THE LONG TERM

H

ousing Now, an initiative to activate City of Toronto lands for the development of affordable housing within mixedincome, mixed-use, transit-oriented communities, is moving forward. The first phase will include the market offering of 11 sites with the potential to create more than 10,000 new residential homes, including approximately 3,700 affordable rental units.

“Through Housing Now we have accelerated the City’s efforts to increase the supply of new rental and affordable housing across Toronto,” says Mayor John Tory. “I am proud to see the progress on this first round of Housing Now sites, which will provide quality affordable homes in communities throughout our city.”

Toronto's in-house real estate agency, CreateTO, announced earlier this month that it had retained CBRE as the broker of record to support the marketing of the first four Housing Now properties. Selected for their readiness for market and prime locations along transit lines, the sites include: 50 Wilson Heights Boulevard; 705 Warden Avenue; and 777 Victoria Park Avenue and 140 Merton Street.

“This is an exciting milestone in the delivery of the Housing Now Initiative,” says Deputy Mayor Ana Bailão, a member of the CreateTO Board and the City of Toronto’s Housing Advocate. “This program will stimulate the creation of complete communities with a range of new mixed-income housing in close proximity to commercial and employment areas and transit hubs, providing the opportunity for Toronto residents to live in these new mixed-income developments.”

Housing Now is just one component of the City of Toronto’s Housing Action Plan intended to spur the development of affordable rental, market rental and ownership housing options.

All new affordable rental homes developed through the Housing Now initiative must remain affordable for 99 years, and satisfy the needs of households earning in the range of $21,000 to $52,000 per year.

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“The opportunity to acquire substantial development land parcels and unlock their development potential on transit-oriented sites in Toronto is exceptionally rare,” observes CreateTO CEO Brian Johnston. “Rarer still is the opportunity for developers to participate in an offering process that provides the ability to develop large-scale mixed-income, mixed-use communities while incorporating much-needed affordable housing in Canada’s fastest-growing city.”

More than 1,800 private and non-profit groups within CBRE’s database have already received a brochure outlining details of the lands currently on offer in phase one of the program. Interested proponents must execute a confidentiality agreement and satisfy a number of prerequisites in order to be given access to an online data room containing the information required to prepare their bids.

Following the competitive bid process, the selection of the preferred proponents and the formal transaction awards are expected to take place in January 2020. The selection

committee will include staff from CreateTO and the Housing Secretariat. Criteria for selection will be based on a number of factors, including: • experience developing or managing similar projects; • the depth of affordability proposed; • financial and funding plan; • degree of non-profit involvement; • ability to execute; and • several additional considerations directed

by City Council.

Following the market offering process, City and CreateTO staff will report to the CreateTO Board prior to finalizing sale or lease agreements.

“There is significant and growing interest in the Housing Now Initiative,” reports Sean Gadon, Executive Director of the City’s Housing Secretariat. “We will continue to outreach with interested organizations and provide ongoing networking opportunities to support the successful delivery of the Housing Now Initiative.” ■

TORONTO’S REAL ESTATE AGENCY The City of Toronto established CreateTO in 2018 to manage its vast $27-billion real estate portfolio, comprised of more than 8,000 properties. It also develops City buildings and lands for municipal purposes and delivers “client-focused real estate solutions” to City divisions, agencies and corporations.

The CreateTO website cites a mission to “create opportunities to build a better Toronto by continuously looking for new and better ways to use the City’s real estate assets, underutilized and surplus lands and open spaces.”

Build Toronto and the Toronto Port Lands Company are now part of CreateTO. Before it was formed, more than 24 divisions, agencies and corporations had been involved in a variety of real estate functions and activities.

PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT

NEW RUN FOR CLASSIC EDITION

BY MATTHEW BRADFORD

T

oronto’s Maclean-Hunter Building is on the rise. This spring, developer Davpart Inc. moved forward with plans to transform the iconic Maclean Publishing Company headquarters into the new United BLDG., a 55-storey mixed-use development that represents North America’s tallest architectural heritage retention project of its kind.

“The United Building will create a vibrant and dynamic atmosphere at the corner of University and Dundas,” says Carmine Colafella, Director of Property Management with Davpart. “It’s an opportunity for retail office, and residential components to thrive and coexist in a true metropolitan fashion.”

The United BLDG project is taking shape at the corner of University Avenue and Dundas Street West. The plans are to keep the existing 224,245 square feet of office space and 39,320 square feet of retail space up to its 10th floor, and to build 759 new condos residences from the 11th floor upwards.

B+H Architects are leading the build, acting as the prime consultant and design architects. Their team is joined by heritage consultants ERA Architects Inc. and Tomas Pearce Interior Design Consulting Inc. It’s a new era for one of the city’s most iconic buildings. From 1910 to the 1980s, the century-old building was home to the Maclean Publishing Company (now MacleanHunter), creator of Canada’s premier Maclean's magazine and now an international telecommunications company.

HERITAGE PROPERTY The property is listed on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties. As such, Davpart’s first step was to rezone the designated heritage property within the context of preserving and restoring the existing building.

The heritage work will include retaining, restoring and enhancing the two buildings that comprise the site. They include a

1930s collegiate gothic building by Toronto architect Murray Brown, designed with New York’s Schultze & Weaver; and a second, modern stone office tower initially designed

by Marani & Morris architects.

Upgrades will include the addition of more durable and better performing materials. The design will also take advantage of Toronto’s Enwave System, which draws its heating and cooling from the nearby Lake Ontario.

Outside, the United BLDG’s plans include a public art installation and outdoor arcade.

“In some ways, bringing the old arcade out into the open will be honouring the significance of the intersection. It will make it much more lively and engaging public place," promises Mark Berest, a Principal with B+H Architects.

“The design of this building draws from the energy of its location at the intersection of the city’s primary cultural, institutional and retail anchors as well as its preserved architectural and cultural heritage,” he adds.

“It will be a tribute to Toronto’s cosmopolitan character.”

Work on the landmark restoration began this summer. Looking forward, Davpart recognizes that one of the biggest challenges for the team will be to stay true to the Maclean-Hunter building’s legacy and complete the ambitious work with minimal disruption to the busy neighbourhood.

“Besides the challenges of undertaking such a feat in retaining the heritage walls, we are very cognizant that the neighbourhood should not experience disruption during construction and by working with some of the best consultants and the City of Toronto, Davpart will strive for as little disruption as possible,” Colafella says.

She adds the team is especially committed to honouring the building’s legacy, noting, “The United Building is the largest heritage retention in North America to ensure its glorious history is not forgotten, but celebrated.” ■ ___________________________________________ MATT BRADFORD IS EDITOR OF CONDOBUSINESS MAGAZINE. www.REMInetwork.com

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BRAKES ON

STRAINS

Workplace ergonomic and respiratory risks scheduled for scrutiny

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usculoskeletal and respiratory health top the agenda for Ontario's workplace health and safety inspectors this fall. Employers won't get prior warning of inspectors' arrival to monitor and promote compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and its regulations, but, as part of the Ministry of Labour's ongoing campaign,

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targeted concerns are announced ahead of the official safety blitz period.

"Everyone has a role and responsibility in preventing musculoskeletal injuries and respiratory hazards," says Monte McNaughton, Ontario's Minister of Labour.

"This enforcement initiative will help prevent needless suffering for thousands of workers and ensure they are safe on the job."

The focus on musculoskeletal injuries — which can occur due to repetitive work, heavy lifting and carrying, and/or awkward postures that affect bones, joints, ligaments and other soft tissues — overlapped with Global Ergonomics Month in October. Workplaces in the construction, health care, industrial and mining sectors have been prioritized for surprise inspections.

HEALTH & SAFETY

"WE ALL NEED TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT THE WAY WE'RE WORKING. LIFTING, CARRYING AND EVEN SITTING THE WRONG WAY CAN LEAD TO INJURIES." FUNDS FOR REPAIRS AND SECURITY UPGRADES Ontario residents could qualify for emergency funds for cleanup, damage repair and household security enhancements in the aftermath of violent incidents. The provincial government launched the new Victim Quick Response Program – plus (VQRP+) on October 1, authorizing 52 regionally based social service agencies and First Nations councils to release financial aid within three to 10 business days.

Survivors of violence, families of homicide victims and/or witnesses of violent crimes are eligible for the program, which replaces the previous Criminal Injuries Compensation Board (CICB). The new rules will provide upfront funds for approved recipients rather than requiring them to later apply for reimbursement of out-ofpocket expenses.

“VQRP+ will relieve some of the burden caused by crime, enhance safety and meet practical needs,” says Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey. “This provincial program will also help serve as a bridge to longerterm health and social supports.”

Funds could be allocated to cover a range of needs including funeral expenses, travel costs, supports for people who have been displaced from their homes and possessions, dental work and counselling services.

Qualifying maintenance and home security costs include professional crime scene cleaning services, glass replacement and installation of deadbolts, motion sensors and contact alarms.

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HEALTH & SAFETY

While they are onsite, inspectors will also check on protective measures to safeguard workers from hazards such as gases, dusts, vapours and fumes. Lung cancer, pleural plaques, mesothelioma, asbestosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are all associated with respiratory exposures, and are the source of 70% of approved long-latency illness claims to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) over the past 10 years.

Musculoskeletal injuries accounted for about one third of all lost-time injury claims the WSIB accepted in 2017, translating to 19,000 claims, 462,000 days lost from work and $72 million in costs. From October 1 to December 27, inspectors will check that: • employers have provided training to workers on safe manual materials handling practices; • items are manually handled in a safe manner; • items are stored in a manner that does not endanger a worker when manually handling those items; • work areas and routes to and from work

areas are kept free of obstructions so extra demands are not placed on workers when manually handling items; • access to and egress from a work area is appropriate so that physical demands are not increased; • adequate housekeeping is taking place so that a worker can use assistive devices (such as carts) and there are not increased demands when manually handling items; and • handling items while the worker is on a ladder is being performed in a safe manner.

"We all need to be careful about the way we're working," McNaughton urges. "Lifting, carrying and even sitting the wrong way can lead to injuries."

Monitoring of potential respiratory hazards will target the following: • lead dust and fumes from grinding, welding, cutting or brazing surfaces coated with lead-based paint; • silica dust from cutting and breaking concrete, sandblasting or removing refractory ceramic fibres; • solvent vapours from adhesives, paints,

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strippers, cleaning solvents and spray coatings; • isocyanate vapours from spray foam insulation and certain spray paints, sealants and coatings; • carbon monoxide from operating gaspowered equipment in poorly ventilated work environments; • fumes and vapours from heated asphalt used in roofing and road paving; and • dust and vapours associated with hardwood floor installation and finishing.

Employers must take every reasonable precaution to reduce workers’ exposure to respiratory hazards. This includes: engineering controls, such as local exhaust ventilation; work practice controls, such as using wet-cutting techniques; and administrative controls, such as minimizing the number of workers exposed to the hazard.

When workers cannot be adequately protected from respiratory hazards through engineering controls, work practices and administrative controls, employers must provide respiratory protective equipment

TSSA ADJUSTS COMPLIANCE STRATEGY Ontario’s Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) has launched the Compliance Support Program to help owners and operators of regulated equipment meet their obligations. This new voluntary initiative was developed with input from an industry working group tasked with finding ways to improve safety while reducing unnecessary regulatory burden.

The program will be offered to businesses and others responsible for equipment under TSSA oversight including: elevators/escalators; amusement devices; ski lifts; boilers and pressure vessels; gas stations; propane facilities; and contractors.

“Inspections and enforcement and even prosecutions are simply not enough to significantly reduce the number of accidents in Ontario,” submits Bonnie Rose, TSSA President and CEO. “The program is the first major move in TSSA’s transformation to an outcome-based regulator that will see TSSA transition from inspection and enforcement-based organization to one that also uses collaboration, partnerships and education to improve compliance with safety standards.”

HEALTH & SAFETY

suitable for the hazard to the workers and workers must use that equipment.

During the safety blitz period, inspectors will check that: • proper controls and work practices are in place; • respirators are well maintained; • workers have been trained on how to use the respirators properly; • respirators are fitted to ensure an effective seal between the respirator and the worker’s face; and • worker exposure to airborne concentrations of hazardous biological or chemical agents listed in Ontario Regulation 833 are under the occupational exposure limits set out in that regulation.

Employers will, of course, be held accountable for other identified OHSA violations in addition to the safety blitz priorities. Findings may influence how often individual workplaces will be inspected in the future. Inspectors may also refer employers to health and safety associations for assistance and training. ■■

BRAIN-PROTECTION HARD HAT HITS MARKET Swedish safety helmet firm, MIPS, has partnered with industrial safety firm, Guardio, to create the world’s first hard hat that offers a brain protection system. Introduced to the market in June 2019, the hard hat is designed to reduce the rotational motion transmitted to the brain from angled impacts to the head.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “the construction industry has the greatest number of both fatal and non-fatal traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) among U.S. workplaces.” TBIs caused 25% of all construction fatalities in the 2003 to 2010 period.

“This is a new category for us, but a category that MIPS has been looking at for a long time." the company's Chief Executive Officer, Max Strandwitz, observed prior to the launch last spring.

Later this fall, MIPS founders, Peter Halldin, Hans von Holst and Svein Kleiven, will officially receive the 2019 Polhem Prize, one of Sweden's oldest and most acclaimed technical awards. This honours their groundbreaking work, begun in 1995, in determining how rotational motion heightens the risk of both minor and severe brain injuries. Using finite-element (FE) computer modelling of the human brain, they developed a system of absorbing and redirecting energies and forces that would otherwise be transmitted to the brain.

“A helmet equipped with MIPS solution enables relative movement between the head and the helmet and takes into account the impact from all angles. In this way, we mimic the brain's own protection system and thereby reduce the risk of both minor and more severe brain damage,” explains Hans von Holst, who is a brain surgeon and a professor at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.

"Our ambition has always been to reduce the risk of brain damage for helmet users worldwide," maintains Peter Halldin, Chief Strategy Officer at MIPS. "We believe that protection against rotational motion in helmets should be as obvious as having a seat belt in cars.”

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