Regent Park RFP Developer Partner Selection for Phases 4 and 5

Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) has selected Tridel Builders Inc. as its developer partner for Phases 4 and 5 of the Regent Park revitalization.

TCHC's Board of Directors approved the selection of Tridel on December 15, 2020 following a competitive public procurement process that included both a Request for Vendor Qualifications (RFVQ) and a Request for Proposals (RFP).

Tridel's plan

Tridel has won the contract with a plan that provides outstanding value to the Regent Park community, Toronto Community Housing and the City of Toronto.

Tridel's plan includes a community economic development program totaling $26.8 million. The program is designed to meets the evolving needs of the community and will be shaped over the coming year with regular, frequent and direct input from the Regent Park community on their priorities.

Based on this one-year process of community engagement, TCHC and Tridel will sign a community benefits agreement setting out how the funds will be used.

After three years there will be an opportunity to review the community benefits agreement to ensure that the purposes for which the funds will be used will ensure the program's continued success.
 

TCHC's public procurement process

The process began in 2018 with a Request for Vendor Qualifications (RFVQ). Three proponents (Capital Developments, The Daniels Corporation and Tridel Builders Inc.) scored higher than the minimum threshold and were qualified to submit a proposal for stage 2, a competitive RFP which was issued on April 9, 2019.

Launched in 2019, the RFP invited the three prequalified proponents to submit a minimum of two business concepts, including a joint venture and a land offer.

TCHC evaluated each proposal based on rated criteria. All three developers achieved a minimum score to progress to the community presentations.

At the community presentations in October 2019, the developers presented their vision for the revitalization, a community engagement strategy and a community economic development plan. The developers also responded to questions from the community.  Residents evaluated each developer's presentation, and resident scores were incorporated in the final RFP evaluation score. 

All three developers met the minimum score to move to the Best and Final Offer (BAFO) stage. Tridel emerged from the BAFO stage as the top proponent and TCHC invited them to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

Following the successful completion of the MOU, TCHC staff brought the recommended selection of Tridel to the TCHC Board of Directors for approval.

Community involvement in the RFP process

TCHC made a clear commitment to community consultation. It took several steps to involve the community in the developer partner selection process for Phases 4 and 5, among them including a community presentation stage in the RFP.

TCHC staff met with the Regent Park Neighbourhood Association (RPNA) in the spring of 2018 to discuss the two-staged procurement process, timing and involvement by the community. 
Prior to issuing the RFP IN 2019, TCHC staff met with the RPNA and then with the broader community to state our commitment to working with local residents in the developer selection process.

TCHC created a procurement committee consisting of Regent Park residents and selected four committee members to vet how the draft RFP addressed community needs.

TCHC held two meetings where it sought input from community on their needs and priorities. Based on this input, TCHC created a community conversations report which it shared with the developers before their initial proposal submissions.

TCHC worked with the Revitalization Working Group over the summer of 2019 to prepare and distribute information about the October community evaluation to all residents in Regent Park. TCHC engaged more than 600 residents about the RFP process, producing information materials and training residents about the importance of attending and scoring on the community presentation day.

Evaluation of the RFP

Proposals were evaluated by a panel of four senior TCHC managers from the Development, Finance and Legal divisions, with oversight from the Strategic Procurement team.

In the initial evaluation scoring, the rated criteria were worth a total of 80 points. This included:

  • The developer's team (2 points) and marketing and sales strategy (3 points)

  • The present value of the total proceeds that the developer's business concept would realize for TCHC (40 points)

  • An assessment of financial, market and construction risks, along with strategies for mitigating those risks (25 points)

  • Information on community economic development (10 points), including financial offers for jobs, scholarships and training opportunities and community consultation and engagement. 

The developer presentations evaluated by Regent Park residents were worth 20 points out of 100 points in the initial evaluation scoring.

Independent Fairness Commissioner

TCHC retained an external independent Fairness Commissioner, Justice Coulter Osborne, to oversee the RFVQ and RFP processes to ensure they were unbiased and did not favour or prejudice any one particular proponent. Justice Osborne commented on the procurement documents prior to their release. He reviewed the criteria for evaluating proposals, oversaw the evaluation meetings, attended meetings with TCHC and proponents, and reviewed all direct communication.

Report on RFP Community Conversations:

As part of the Regent Park Request for Proposals (RFP) process the Developer Proponents requested the opportunity to engage community members to understand community concerns, priorities, interests and hopes for the development of Phases 4 & 5 of Regent Park.

The Developer Proponents provided questions to be asked of the community as part of an engagement strategy led by Toronto Community Housing (TCH).  The resident feedback was documented and is presented in the report linked below.  This report was provided to the Developer Proponents for their information and to support the development of their RFP submissions.

Community Vision Documents:

Frequently Asked Questions:

How did Tridel come to be selected as TCHC's developer partner?

Tridel's plan had the highest overall score in a competitive RFP process. TCHC clearly stated in the terms of the RFP that it would enter into negotiations with the highest scoring proponent.

What benefits does Tridel's plan bring to the Regent Park community?

The plan commits Tridel to a $26.8-million community economic development program that will be shaped over the coming year with regular, frequent and direct input from the community on their priorities.

Who is Tridel?

Tridel is one of Canada's leading developer and builder of condominium residences, with more than eight decades of diverse experience in home and community building. Currently, Tridel is also TCHC's developer partner for the Leslie Nymark and Alexandra Park revitalization projects.

Tridel has won numerous industry awards for design, marketing, sales, construction excellence, and customer service. Most recently, it was named Ontario Homebuilder of the Year by the Ontario Homebuilders Association, the fifth time it had received this prestigious honour.

What does this decision mean for The Daniels Corporation?

The Daniels Corporation will continue to be TCHC's developer partner for Phase 3 to complete all work arising from its partnership with TCHC. Daniels has made significant contributions to the success of the Regent Park revitalization and has built strong relationships in the community. It remains deeply committed to Regent Park and Regent Park residents.

When will work on Phases 4 and 5 begin?

TCHC and Tridel will begin community engagement in the new year, including the consultations on the community economic development program.

In addition to residential units, what types of community spaces are being considered for Phases 4 and 5?
The public engagement process conducted for Phases 3, 4 and 5 as part of the rezoning process anticipated that Phases 4 and 5 would have a residential focus, with some commercial/retail space at street level. The plan is to reserve an additional 1,000 square metres of space that could be used for community uses on the ground floor of a future new building, should capital funds be available.

TCHC was also approached by the Toronto Public Library, which is considering relocating the Parliament Street Library as part of Phases 4 and 5, in future. TCHC is committed to reserving space for community use as part of its revitalization. It will consider options through a Request for Expressions of Interest process.

What is the role of the Revite Working Group (RWG)?

The mandate of the Regent Park Revitalization Working Group is to represent community interests. You can read the Revite Working Group's Mandate (PDF) for more information. 

Where can I learn more about revitalization?

Call: 416-981-4311 (Regent Park Hotline)

For General Maintenance Requests Call: 416-981-5500

Email: talkregentpark@torontohousing.ca

 

The Revitalization Working Group:

Purpose

The purpose of the Regent Park Revitalization Working Group ("Revite Working Group") is to:

  • Understand and prioritize issues directly related to the Revitalization of Regent Park

    • Focusing on two key priorities initially:
      1.) Development of a fair, transparent and useful process for community members to be engaged in the Phase 4 & 5 "Request for Proposals" process to select a developer partner, including attendance at a community presentation

      2.) The development of a fair process for the selection of an organization or organizations that would use potential community space in Phase 4 & 5

  • Be informed through "Lessons Learned", community-based research and community engagement about issues and concerns

  • Create a space for stakeholders to work together in the co-creation of recommendations directed to Toronto Community Housing with the specific aim of solving and/or addressing concerns and issues and to broadly make Regent Park an even better place to live, learn, work, grow and play

  • Report back to the broader community, including residents, agencies, organizations and institutions in the community about the work being done to improve revitalization with the hope of an even better Regent Park

Goals and Outcomes

The Revite Working Group should aim to:

  • Learn about and be an interface with the community about revitalization-specific issues, concerns, or goals

  • Communicate to stakeholders, including especially Toronto Community Housing, about issues, concerns and goals

  • Create specific recommendations for investigation or action aimed at Toronto Community Housing to improve revitalization

In the links below please find important documents that relate to the Revitalization Working Group: