Tom Patterson Theatre

Tom Patterson Theatre Redevelopment - Background

Here is some background information on the development of the new Tom Patterson Theatre on what was formerly City-owned property at 48 Water Street:

At a meeting held February 1, 2018, Stratford City Council formally approved negotiations for the sale of the City-owned property at 48 Water Street to the Stratford Shakespearean Festival Holding Foundation (Stratford Festival).

That agreement, which has now been finalized, includes legal requirements that ensure ongoing and permanent uses of the property by the public.

This step paved the way for the Festival to redevelop the property for its Tom Patterson Theatre Centre.

The negotiations for the sale of 48 Water Street included the following elements:

A purchase price for the property of $4.9M ($4.0M for the land and $900,000 for transition costs and recovery of existing mechanical equipment. Specifically, the transition costs include the renovation costs associated with moving the Stratford Lakeside Active Adults Association (SLAAA) to the Agriplex, relocating the Stratford Lawn Bowling Club to the municipal golf course, along with the removal of memorabilia, City contents and the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) equipment currently located on the property;
An increase in on-site parking from the current 127 spaces to approximately 160-170 spaces. This excludes on-street parking;
Continued use of parking by the public on an ongoing basis at no charge, subject to periods when dedicated parking areas are required by the Festival, and registration of the public parking through a development agreement;
An increase in publicly accessible green space from approximately 31% of current property coverage to approximately 41%;
Continued passive enjoyment of the property’s green space by the public at no charge, including the extensive gardens proposed on the property, and registration of this entitlement by a development agreement;
Use of internal spaces for community purposes (e.g. Kiwanis Music Festival) when not required by the Festival (500 hours per year)
A first right of opportunity to purchase the property in favour of the City of Stratford; and
A City-initiated rezoning of the lands for the new theatre that would be built to specifically reflect the site specific use and form of development for a theatre and limited ancillary/accessory uses, including the ongoing public use of the property.

Below are some supporting documents and background information related to the Tom Patterson Theatre project.

More Information:

Report of the CAO and Supporting Documents for February 1, 2018 Special Council Meeting:

What resolutions has Stratford City Council passed regarding Tom Patterson Theatre redevelopment proposal?

October 24, 2016

THAT City staff be directed to meet with the Stratford Festival to obtain a full understanding of their redevelopment proposal and report back to City Council;

THAT City staff examine the future of the Kiwanis Community Centre facilities and users and other potentially impacted activities as part of discussions with the Festival;

THAT staff also be directed to examine the potential of developing a larger community facility using the Provincial "community hub" model, that would provide a range of programs and service for all citizens, including active seniors;

THAT staff consider potential preferred locations for such a "community hub" in the City, including the Cooper site;

THAT City staff explore potential partnership opportunities with community groups and more formal organizations, including Kiwanis Community Centre users, the YMCA and the University of Waterloo‎;

THAT staff be directed to pursue the necessary senior government level funding required to support any new community facilities;

AND THAT City staff develop a comprehensive public consultation process for Council's consideration.

September 11, 2017

THAT Stratford City Council re-confirms to the community that it has made no final decision on the proposed redevelopment of the City-owned Tom Patterson property by the Stratford Festival, and will issue an updated communique with additional background;

THAT staff be directed to complete a full technical site plan review of the proposed Tom Patterson Theatre redevelopment, as recently released by the Stratford Festival to the public, and report the results to Council;

THAT special public input meetings be convened to hear delegations relative to the proposed Stratford Festival Tom Patterson Theatre redevelopment, and invite representatives of the Stratford Festival to hear the submissions;

AND THAT these public input meetings be advertised widely.

February 1, 2018

THAT the property at 48 Water Street, which has been previously declared surplus, be disposed by negotiations to a sole source, and that the intended purchaser is the Stratford Shakespearean Festival Holding Foundation.

THAT the City of Stratford enter into an agreement with the Stratford Shakespearean Festival Holding Foundation (the “Foundation”) to permit the redevelopment of the Tom Patterson Theatre on City-owned property municipally described as 48 Water Street, Stratford, Province of Ontario (“Property”);

THAT the City of Stratford and the Foundation execute a formal agreement with provisions that include, but are not limited to the following:

* A purchase price of $4.0M with transition costs of $900,000 and terms and conditions, including public access to parking and the green space in perpetuity;

* Assumption of transition costs relating to existing users of the property and the removal of contents/equipment;

* Ongoing use of parking by the public at no charge, and the registration of this public entitlement on the title of the property, with the detailed arrangements established through the Parking Strategy;

* Ongoing access to the passive enjoyment by the public at no charge of green spaces on the property, and the registration of this public entitlement on the title of the property;

* A future City-initiated site-specific zoning by-law amendment for all properties to be used for the new Tom Patterson Theatre. This would reflect the limited use and form of development of a theatre and limited ancillary uses, but would also include ongoing public use of the property;

* The City retaining the first right to purchase the property should the Foundation decide to sell the property to an unrelated entity, and the property is no longer predominantly used as a theatre; and

* The City of Stratford and the Foundation deal with any matters involving road allowances through separate future legal arrangements.

THAT the Chief Administrative Officer, in consultation with the City Solicitor and the Festival, develop a Transition Plan and negotiate an agreement of purchase and sale with the Foundation with the agreed upon terms and conditions to report back to Council, as described in this report;

THAT the Chief Administrative Officer, in consultation with the City Solicitor and the Foundation, develop an Implementation Plan, with requirements to report back to Council, as described in this report;

THAT the Stratford Fire Chief be directed to establish a new emergency reception centre to replace the Kiwanis Community Centre;

THAT the Chief Administrative Officer and the City Solicitor be authorized to finalize the requisite contractual documents, including any minor administrative adjustments and the legal description of the purchasing and operating entities that are consistent with Council’s approved terms, as described in this report;

AND THAT the Mayor, Clerk, City Solicitor and CAO be authorized to execute all of the requisite contractual documents.