Bickford Centre community hub plan stalled by ownership confusion between city and TDSB

A proposal to transform the Bickford Centre, a sprawling one-hectare complex on Bloor Street across from Christie Pits park, into a community hub complete with a pool, gym, concert hall, and movie theatre is in limbo — caught up in confusion over who actually controls the property.

The city owns the land, but the Toronto District School Board has occupied and managed the building for over 60 years. The TDSB currently runs adult education and English as a Second Language classes from the site and rents facilities to sports leagues. The school itself closed in the late 1980s.

Local resident Darlene Varaleau and neighbours proposed the redevelopment about two years ago. "I do nothing but work on this day and night, figuring out how to move this forward," Varaleau said. But without clarity on who controls the site, neither the board nor the city has done anything to move the project forward, she added. "No one's done an assessment because no one's intending to do anything. This has been invisible."

Coun. Dianne Saxe said her understanding is that the city owns the land while the TDSB owns the building — though neither the board nor city staff have formally confirmed this. The Architectural Conservancy of Ontario lists the TDSB as owner. The confusion stems from the building's history: it was constructed as Bickford Park High School in 1965 on city-owned land, but no formal lease was ever drawn up between the school board and the city.

Even once ownership is clarified, cost remains a hurdle. "It belongs to the school board and the school board is not willing to give it to the city for free," Saxe said. "It would be very expensive for the city to front."

Saxe said initial talks between city and TDSB staff are ongoing but she does not expect formal negotiations — which could culminate in a lease between the city and board — to happen for at least a year.