Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

At present, proposal highlights include replacing the aging Tom Patterson Theatre and the adjoining Kiwanis Community Centre with a new 600-seat, 75,000-square-foot stage theatre surrounded by gardens, which is expected to draw over 52,000 additional theatre patrons to Stratford annually, and provide a platform to expand the Festival's Forum, Laboratory and education outreach activities.  

In many ways, the active adult (55+) program at the KCC, as delivered through the Stratford Lakeside Active Adults Association, has outgrown the space. Over the last five years, membership has increased from 500 active adults to nearly 900. Over the next five years, it's expected to reach more than 1,200 members. We recognize the need to re-think how the City should serve this rapidly growing segment of the population, and further understand that the active adult of the future requires different facility models, planning standards and service delivery approaches.  Integration with the broader community is also a foundational consideration.

We also appreciate the desire for other community groups to have access to public spaces that are inviting and can easily connect them to other individuals and organizations.  

Consequently, the City of Stratford is interested in creating a larger, purpose-built, fully accessible state-of-the-art Community Hub that would support both the active adult population and the broader needs of our residents.  This proposed development has the potential to provide Stratford's residents with a new facility that would substantially increase community-centered opportunities and relationship-building, and offer better integration of users. The relocation to a larger site would have fewer barriers to citizen participation, would become a connecting point for multiple organizations to meet and collaborate under one roof, and would allow for greater program and service flexibility. Use of the facility could be optimized through a combination of shared and dedicated spaces.

The Community Hub that could be created on the City-owned Cooper site would build pride, support engagement and provide a sense of place for generations to come. 

A public open house was held June 10, 2017 at the University of Waterloo Stratford campus, and feedback from that session, as well as input gathered from the community through kitchen table kits and the Talking Wall, was summarized by the consultant and presented to City Council September 11, 2017. That presentation is available on the City's website at

https://www.stratfordcanada.ca/en/insidecityhall/resources/ReportsAndPublications/2017.09.08-Grand-Trunk-Master-Plan-Consultation---What-We-Heard-Summary-.._.pdf

A second public open house was held Nov. 7, 2017 at the University of Waterloo Stratford campus, where the consultant, Urban Strategies, presented a Draft Grand Trunk Master Plan. That plan will be refined and presented to City Council for consideration in February 2018.

Tom Patterson Theatre: www.stratfordfestival.ca/TPTNEWS

Tom Patterson Theatre Open House

Cooper Block Master Plan: https://www.stratfordcanada.ca/en/insidecityhall/cooper-block.asp.

THAT City staff be directed to meet with the Stratford Festival to obtain a full understanding of their redevelopment proposal and report back to City Council;

THAT City staff examine the future of the Kiwanis Community Centre facilities and users and other potentially impacted activities as part of discussions with the Festival;

THAT staff also be directed to examine the potential of developing a larger community facility using the Provincial "community hub" model, that would provide a range of programs and service for all citizens, including active seniors;

THAT staff consider potential preferred locations for such a "community hub" in the City, including the Cooper site;

THAT City staff explore potential partnership opportunities with community groups and more formal organizations, including Kiwanis Community Centre users, the YMCA and the University of Waterloo‎;

THAT staff be directed to pursue the necessary senior government level funding required to support any new community facilities;

AND THAT City staff develop a comprehensive public consultation process for Council's consideration.

THAT Stratford City Council re-confirms to the community that it has made no final decision on the proposed redevelopment of the City-owned Tom Patterson property by the Stratford Festival, and will issue an updated communique with additional background;

THAT staff be directed to complete a full technical site plan review of the proposed Tom Patterson Theatre redevelopment, as recently released by the Stratford Festival to the public, and report the results to Council;

THAT special public input meetings be convened to hear delegations relative to the proposed Stratford Festival Tom Patterson Theatre redevelopment, and invite representatives of the Stratford Festival to hear the submissions;

AND THAT these public input meetings be advertised widely. 

THAT the property at 48 Water Street, which has been previously declared surplus, be disposed by negotiations to a sole source, and that the intended purchaser is the Stratford Shakespearean Festival Holding Foundation.

THAT the City of Stratford enter into an agreement with the Stratford Shakespearean Festival Holding Foundation (the “Foundation”) to permit the redevelopment of the Tom Patterson Theatre on City-owned property municipally described as 48 Water Street, Stratford, Province of Ontario (“Property”);

THAT the City of Stratford and the Foundation execute a formal agreement with provisions that include, but are not limited to the following:

* A purchase price of $4.0M with transition costs of $900,000 and terms and conditions, including public access to parking and the green space in perpetuity;

* Assumption of transition costs relating to existing users of the property and the removal of contents/equipment;

* Ongoing use of parking by the public at no charge, and the registration of this public entitlement on the title of the property, with the detailed arrangements established through the Parking Strategy;

* Ongoing access to the passive enjoyment by the public at no charge of green spaces on the property, and the registration of this public entitlement on the title of the property;

* A future City-initiated site-specific zoning by-law amendment for all properties to be used for the new Tom Patterson Theatre. This would reflect the limited use and form of development of a theatre and limited ancillary uses, but would also include ongoing public use of the property;

* The City retaining the first right to purchase the property should the Foundation decide to sell the property to an unrelated entity, and the property is no longer predominantly used as a theatre; and

* The City of Stratford and the Foundation deal with any matters involving road allowances through separate future legal arrangements.

THAT the Chief Administrative Officer, in consultation with the City Solicitor and the Festival, develop a Transition Plan and negotiate an agreement of purchase and sale with the Foundation with the agreed upon terms and conditions to report back to Council, as described in this report;

THAT the Chief Administrative Officer, in consultation with the City Solicitor and the Foundation, develop an Implementation Plan, with requirements to report back to Council, as described in this report;

THAT the Stratford Fire Chief be directed to establish a new emergency reception centre to replace the Kiwanis Community Centre;

THAT the Chief Administrative Officer and the City Solicitor be authorized to finalize the requisite contractual documents, including any minor administrative adjustments and the legal description of the purchasing and operating entities that are consistent with Council’s approved terms, as described in this report;

AND THAT the Mayor, Clerk, City Solicitor and CAO be authorized to execute all of the requisite contractual documents.