Campaign to remove secrecy from University of Toronto deal with rooming house developer

Petition regarding the absence of transparency by the UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO in a development proposal on a for-profit high rise 759 bed student “rooming house” operated by an american based service provider We, the undersigned, are residents of neighbourhoods bordering the St. George campus of the University of Toronto. We understand that the University of Toronto has entered into an agreement with a development company and a US based operator of for-profit student housing. We deplore the secrecy to which this public institution has agreed and which has used public funds to acquire lands and to lease these lands for a private development which will hurt the community and which is not the in the university’s long term interest. This University has demonstrated that it has acted in bad faith and failed to live up to its commitment to work cooperatively with its neighbours as set out the terms of reference (1996) for the community liaison committee. We recognize and support the need to provide housing for university students, but these housing services must be safe and clean and be governed by rules that are similar to all official residences and must relate positively to its adjacent neighbours. We are calling upon the University of Toronto to: (a) disclose the details of its secret agreement with development companies to build a high-rise 759 bed “rooming house” at 245-251 College Street and 39 and 40 Glasgow Street. (b) support changes to the model and size of the proposed 759 bed rooming house; (c) support a mixed-use development which offers a variety of housing types and ownership in keeping with the surrounding neighbourhood; (d) co-operate with its surrounding neighbourhoods on all proposed developments. We are calling upon the Ward Councillor to: (a) withhold all support for University developments that are not consistent with Official Plan objectives. We are calling upon Community Council and Toronto City Council to: (a) refuse the application to amend the zoning and Official Plan submitted by agents and owners of 245-251 College Street and 39 and 40 Glasgow Street