Future of new sports field at Toronto high school under threat

Theglobeandmail.com
Jan. 21, 2016
By Caroline Alphonso

The fate of a recreational facility at a Toronto high school is in jeopardy after the private developer building it says he is being unfairly targeted by the city and the school board.

Construction of a new sports field and a seasonal dome at Central Technical School, near Bathurst and Harbord Streets, was moving ahead after almost two years of legal wranglings and numerous roadblocks.

But now, Razor Management, the private operator, said it is stopping all work Friday after it was hit with an unexpected property tax assessment and hasn’t received any support from the Toronto District School Board for a property-tax exemption.

Matthew Raizenne, the owner of Razor, said similar private operators are not taxed, and yet he has to pay a $505,000 retroactive tax bill for a dome erected a few years back at Monarch Park Collegiate, near Coxwell and Danforth Avenues, and will be responsible for about $200,000 a year at each facility. Mr. Raizenne said he believes that school trustees and city councillors opposed to private companies operating on public school land are behind the latest move.

“This is politically motivated,” he said. “I don’t believe in discrimination and I know for a fact that this is personal. I refuse to be bullied by politicians.”

The seasonal domed stadium was scheduled to be completed in time for the school’s spring athletic season. It is one of a handful of championship fields the TDSB is looking to build with private partners.

TDSB spokesman Ryan Bird said the agreement between the school board and Razor stated that the private developer would be responsible for any taxes assessed on the property. Another company that operates a field at Lakeshore Collegiate Institute, in the city’s west end, has a different type of arrangement with the TDSB, the board said.

School trustees voted in December to defer any decision on a tax exemption for Razor, but they voted to support Mr. Raizenne if he appealed his assessment. Mr. Bird said the TDSB plans to meet with Mr. Raizenne next week.

Councillor Joe Cressy, whose downtown ward includes the high school, denied the assessment was politically motivated.

“Razor Management was told from the very beginning that they would have to pay commercial taxes for their business. If they believe the taxes to be unfair, they can appeal the tax assessment valuation, as is their right,” Mr. Cressy said. “If the TDSB decides to grant a tax exemption, they can do so, as is their right. As for the City of Toronto, our commitment is to honouring the terms of the mediated settlement.”

Central Tech’s field has been closed since November, 2013, after testing revealed contaminants in the soil.

Under the 21-year deal between the school board and Razor, the company will create and maintain the facility at Central Tech. A dome will cover the sports field during the winter. Students would have use of the facility on weekdays during the school year.

The deal, however, faced resistance from residents and the city. Many feared that private facilities on public land would limit their access to school grounds and cause traffic congestion. But a mediated settlement at the Ontario Municipal Board was reached last March with the city, the TDSB, community associations and Razor that would, among other things, reduce the size of the dome and give local residents more access to the field. The deal was to resolve issues around the construction of the facility.

Mr. Raizenne said he would consider launching an appeal with the city on the tax assessment, but he has yet to hear from the TDSB. Asked if the Central Tech project will be completed, he said he was unsure.

“Flip a coin. I don’t know. Ask the TDSB. The ball’s really in their hands,” he said.