In addition, the Celestial Beacon is considered a development and subject to Site Plan review and approval by City Council as per the Site Plan Approval Delegation By-law 11275. Recommendation III of this report requests that Site Plan Approval be delegated to the City Planner to expedite the review process.

With respect to permits The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry would need to be contacted for permits as the project falls within 100meters of the Detroit River. In Ontario, the use of Crown land and shore lands is regulated under the Public Lands Act. There are some exceptions, including provincial parks and conservation reserves. The regulations state you must get a work permit from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry for certain activities on Crown land and shore lands before any work can take place. It is an offence to work on Crown land and/or shore lands without a work permit when one is needed.

Grant Opportunities

Administration will pursue all grant opportunities that satisfy the project objectives and could potentially apply in order to offset the cost for this project. Administration has been in active discussions the Ministry of Canadian Heritage regarding The Canadian Cultural Spaces Fund (“CCSF”) Grant. The project, inclusive of the Streetcar, meets with the eligible project requirements for the grant, specifically “construction / renovation of arts and or heritage facilities”. Administration has also confirmed, as recently as May 26, 2020, that the grant program remains fully funded and is accepting applications.

This grant provides funding up to fifteen ($15) million at a 50/50 sharing of eligible costs. This grant also allows for a project to commence work once the grant application is received, rather than awarded, without adversely impacting the eligibility of project costs.

Risk Analysis:

Timing Risks

As with any capital project, there is a timing risk related to unforeseen conditions or events that can have considerable impact on both timelines for project completion as well as budget implications. This risk is partially mitigated by the soil testing and archeological work already completed.

Financial Risks

There is a potential risk the project costs are higher than anticipated. To mitigate this risk it is recommended the project commence once the grant application is submitted ensuring construction costs for 2020 pricing rather than 2021 or later are secured.

There is a risk the grant funding is not awarded in whole or in part. This risk is mitigated by determining City funding sources for the full project cost.