The RegionalMunicipality of Halton. Chair and Members of the Administration and Finance Committee

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1 Approved - Administration and Finance - Feb 18, 2015 Adopted - Regional Council - Feb 25, 2015 The RegionalMunicipality of Halton Report To: From: Chair and Members of the Administration and Finance Committee Mark G. Meneray, Commissioner, Legislative & Planning Services and Corporate Counsel Date: February 18, 2015 Report No.-Re: LPS Economic Development 4th Quarter Report 2014 on Business Investment and Results under the Region's Economic Development Strategy RECOMMENDATION REPORT THAT Report No. LPS28-15 re: Economic Development 4th Quarter 2014 Report on Business Investment and Results under the Region s Economic Development Strategy be received for information. Executive Summary - Report No. LPS28-15 highlights business investment and economic activity in Halton, as well as Halton Region s Economic Development activities and results under the Economic Development Strategy, during the 4th quarter of Overall building permit value in Halton increased 49 percent in the 4th quarter of 2014 compared to the same period in This was partly attributed to the permit issuance for the expansion of the Mid Halton Wastewater Treatment Plant in Oakville. Industrial, commercial and residential permit values all increased during the 4th quarter from the same period last year. - Halton s unemployment rate in the 4th quarter was 5.0 percent slightly below the region s five year average unemployment rate of 5.2 percent. Discussion 4th Quarter 2014 Announcements and Activities Commercial and Industrial On October 1, Ford Motor Company of Canada announced it will add 1,000 jobs and undertake a major retooling of its Oakville assembly plant, to build the 2015 Ford Edge crossover utility vehicle. The Oakville plant has the exclusive global mandate for the Ford Edge program. 1

2 In early October, EarthFresh completed the relocation of its office, warehouse and packing lines from Etobicoke to Clay Avenue in Burlington. The company s new office and warehouse space is approximately 60,000 sq. ft. EarthFresh is a produce company supplying the North American food service and retail industries with fresh potatoes and vegetables. On October 15, Oakville Green Developments Inc. unveiled its preliminary plans to build a green $1.5-billion life sciences business park next to the new Oakville Hospital. On November 10, MTB Transit Solutions held a ground breaking ceremony for a 30,000 sq. ft. expansion in Milton making them the largest bus focused repair and refurbishment company in Canada. First Gulf submitted plans for a new office development at 514 South Service Road in Oakville. The new four-story office building will be a LEED Gold, 104,000 sq. ft., fourstorey, Class-A office building located at the southwest corner of South Service Road east and Chartwell Road in midtown Oakville. Kylin and CREIT Development proposed plans for a 650,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art distribution centre in Milton. The site sits on over 30 acres at 8645 Regional Road 25 just north of Highway 401. Institutional On November 28, 2014, the Halton McMaster Family Health Centre held its grand opening at Joseph Brant Hospital on Lakeshore Road in Burlington. This brand new facility is complementedby Halton s Physician Recruitment program and achieves the objective of the 2009 Halton-McMaster partnership which saw Halton Region and the City of Burlington provide 10-year funding to McMaster University to help establish a variety of programs in the region including the family health centre, a family medicine teaching affiliation with Joseph Brant Hospital and the Ron Joyce Centre DeGroote School of Business in Burlington. On December 9, GO Transit announced that it is adding one train to the morning and afternoon peak periods that will stop at all stations along the Milton line. The new train will provide about 1,500 more seats for customers during both the morning and afternoon commutes. General On October 3, Charles Sturt University announced plans to close its Burlington campus by July Citing recent changes to the duration of teacher education programs in Ontario, combined with an oversupply of teachers in the province, the Australian university to undertake a review of the viability of providing an on-campus environment 2

3 for its Bachelor of Early Childhood and Bachelor of Primary Education Studies programs. CSU will now serve Ontario and Canadian students through its distance education programs. On October 14, FedDev Ontario announced an investment of up to $500,000 in Angel One Network Incorporated. Angel One is a member-based, not-for-profit organization of accredited investors who live, work and invest in promising companies in the west GTA region. On November 6, Profitguide.com announced its list of the best small and medium employers in Canada. Included on the list are Halton-based Cumis Group and Grantek Systems Integration, both located in Burlington. On November 13, Deloitte announced the winners of its Technology Fast 50 program. Included on the list are Halton-based EcoSynthetix (#18), located in Burlington and Geotab Inc. (#49), located in Oakville. On November 13, Indira Naidoo-Harris, MPP, Halton announced that Milton, Oakville and Burlington will receive a combined $5.29 million in funding from the Ontario Gas Tax Fund to improve their public transit infrastructure. On December 4, the federal government approved Burger King s application to acquire control of Tim Hortons. 4th Quarter Halton Construction / Building Permit Activity Halton s total value of new construction and expansions during the 4th quarter of 2014 climbed 91 percent from the previous quarter and 49 percent over the same period in 2013, rising to just over $677.6 million in building permit value (Table 1). The sharp increase is mainly attributed to the significant climb in industrial construction value during the period (from a little over $20.2 million in 4th quarter 2013 to approximately $261.1 million in 4th quarter 2014). The building permits issued for the expansion of Halton Region s Mid-Halton Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) made up the bulk of that value, totalling over $224 million. Residential as well as commercial, retail and office investmentsalso performed well during the quarter in comparison to last year s values. Residentialbuilding permit values climbed 46 percent from $212.4 million to over $309.5 million while commercial retail and office construction increased 25 percent, from $66 million to just over $82 million. The total value of institutional building permits issued during the quarter dropped 95 percent compared to the 4 th quarter of 2013 to just under $7 million. 3

4 Table 1 - Construction Value ($thousand) of New Developments in Halton, 4th Quarter 2013 vs. 4th Quarter 2014* Type of Construction Burlington Oakville Milton Halton Hills Halton Region Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Residential 39, , , , , , , , , ,548.0 Industrial , , , , , , , , ,117.8 Commercial 28, , , , , , , ,143.1 Institutional 65, , , , , , , , ,919.3 Other 8, , , , , , , , , ,875.2 Total Value 141, , , , , , , , , ,603.4 * Figures may not add due to rounding Source: Local Municipal building departments and Halton Economic Development. In addition to the Mid-Halton WWTP permit which accounted for 86 percent of the industrial activity, other significant industrial projects initiated in the 4th quarter of 2014 included permits for the Region s upgrade and expansion of the Fulton Wastewater Pumping Station in Milton ($9.8 million), permits for MTB Transit Solutions new bus servicing facility in Milton ($5 million), and permits to Union Gas for a new Compressor Station in Milton ($3.5 million). Several major commercial office developments were also initiated during the quarter in Oakville, including a seven storey office tower at the Westbury International Centre in Winston business park ($28.9 million), a new office building at 1670 North Service Road East in midtown Oakville ($4.6 million), and three new multi-storey offices in Phase 2 of the Joshua Creek CorporateCentre ($9 million, combined). Other notable investments made during the 4th quarter involve a number of new condominium developments in Oakville, including one on Kerr Street ($37.9 million), Oak Park Boulevard ($30 million), Taunton Road ($3.5 million), and Georgian Drive ($3.4 million), among others. A permit was also issued for a new retirement residence on Bronte Street South in Milton ($16 million) by Seasons Retirement Communities. Table 2 - Top Industrial and Commercial Developments in Halton, 4thQuarter 2014* Name of Development Location Building Type Area (sq ft) Construction Value ($) Mid-Halton Wastew ater Treatment Plant Oakville Industrial Expansion and Upgrade 106,120 $224,286,831 Westbury International Centre Oakville New Multi-Storey Office Building 219,960 $28,947,000 Fulton Wastew ater Pumping Station Milton Industrial Expansion and Upgrade 9,365 $9,800,000 MTB Transit Solutions Milton New Bus Servicing Facility 30,440 $5,000, North Service Road East Oakville New 2-Storey Office Building 35,565 $4,626,000 Union Gas Milton Industrial - Natural Gas Compressor Station 14,553 $3,506,622 Joshua Creek Corporate Centre Phase 2 Oakville New Multi-Storey Office Building C 34,800 $3,333,000 Joshua Creek Corporate Centre Phase 2 Oakville New Multi-Storey Office Building B 47,460 $3,057,000 Joshua Creek Corporate Centre Phase 2 Oakville New Multi-Storey Office Building A 34,800 $2,586,000 * Listing of all non-residential, non-institutional and non-retail developments in excess of $1 million in construction value. Source: Local Municipal building departments. A total of 2,065 building permits were issued in Halton during the 4thquarter, representing an increase of 59 percent from the same period in Residential permits accounted for 44 percent of all building permits issued, while 14 percent of permits issued were attributable to non-residential developments (Table 3). 4

5 Table 3 Number of Building Permits Issued in Halton by Development Type & Municipality, 4th Quarter 2013 vs. 4th Quarter 2014 Residential* Non-Residential** Miscellaneous*** Total Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Burlington Halton Hills Milton Oakville HALTON REGION ,295 2,065 * includes apartment registrations, renovations and additions ** includes industrial, commercial, institutional (ICI) *** excluding signs Source: Local Municipal building departments Economic Conditions and Indicators In Ontario, employment decreased by 11,700 workers in December from the previous month, while the provincial unemployment rate held steadyat 7.0 percent, among the lowest rates since October Compared with 12 months earlier, employment in the province rose by 37,700 (0.6 percent increase). Halton s unemployment rate during the 4th quarter was 5.0 percent, representing an increase from 4.1 percent during the 3rd quarter of 2014, but a decrease from the th quarter figure (which was 5.6 percent).overall, Halton s labour force is performing well in comparison to its five year ( ) average unemployment rate of 5.2 percent. Meanwhile, the number of Halton residents participating in the labour market was at 71.3 percent, edging down from 74.0 percent in the previous quarter and 73.6 percent during the same quarter of 2013 (Table 4). 5

6 Table 4 Halton Economic Indicators 4thQuarter 2012 to 4thQuarter 2014 Economic Indicator Q Q Q /2014 % or pp change Total Population1 505, , , % Population Density (per sq km) % Unemployment Rate3 6.2% 5.6% 5.0% 0.6pp Participation Rate3 70.6% 73.6% 71.3% 2.3pp Employment Rate3 66.1% 69.5% 67.7% 1.8% Employment Insurance Beneficiaries4 3,417 3,543 na na Halton Ontario Works Caseload5 2,078 1,921 na na Number of Businesses6 38,034 41,348 43, % Employment1 258, , , % Business Bankruptcies7 9 8 na na Total Construction Value8 $382,382,396 $454,782,956 $677,603, % Industrial $78,645,358 $20,262,829 $261,117,820 1,188.7% Commercial $47,921,949 $66,003,732 $82,143, % Institutional $101,728,293 $142,214,694 $6,919, % Residential $135,272,319 $212,386,431 $309,548, % Industrial Vacancy Rate9 4.2% 2.9% na na Office Vacancy Rate % 17.1% na na Occupied Dwelling Units1 183, , , % Housing Sales11 1,106 1,445 1, % Average Housing Price11 $558,147 $579,723 $620, Average Days on the Market % Sources: 1 Halton Region Best Planning Estimates, June 2011 (forecasted) 2 Based on Halton's land area of 967 square kilometres 3 Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey Estimates (Custom Tabulation, 3 month moving average, unadjusted). 4 Statistics Canada, Employment Insurance Statistics (Table , average number of beneficiaries receiving regular benefits). 5 Employment Halton (September monthly average) 6 Statistics Canada, Canadian Business Patterns. As of June 2012, 2013 and Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy Canada. 8 Local Municipal building departments and Halton Economic Development 9 CBRE. Based on rates in Burlington, Milton and Oakville. 10 CBRE. Based on rates in Burlington and Oakville. 11 Toronto Real Estate Board, Market Watch Halton Region s Economic Development Activities and Results The Economic Development Strategyprovides direction for Halton Region s Economic Development services and programs and informs decision making for economic development within Halton. The Strategy is premised on five key pillars supporting economic growth in Halton, namely: 1. Employment Lands 2. Existing and Emerging Sectors 3. Investment Attraction and Retention 4. Entrepreneurship and Innovation 5. Quality of Place (Including Tourism and Physician Recruitment) 6

7 Within these five pillars, the Strategy sets out twenty-three Strategic Directions and specific actions, targets and performance measures to be carried out in two five-year phases, and The significant results achieved under the Economic Development Strategy in the 4th quarter, 2014 include: Investment Attraction and Retention - On November 6, Halton Economic Development staff hosted its fifth annual Real Estate Forum at the Glen Abbey Golf Course in Oakville. The event, which focused on the role of real estate in the quest for talent, featured David Gerofsky, CEO First Gulf as keynote speaker and provided more than 200 attendees from the real estate and development community an opportunity to network and learn about all Halton has to offer to potential businesses looking to invest in the region. - On December 10, Halton Economic Development staff in conjunction with Sheila Botting, Partner & Canadian Real Estate Leader at Deloitte, held a webinar focused on locating to the Greater Toronto Area and specifically Halton Region. The webinar was targeted to Canadian and international site selectors and end users and had over 60 registrants. - Phase 2 of the federally funded Investment Attraction Target Sector Deep Dive Project was completed in December. Phase 2 provided in-depth information regarding market research, site location requirements, and Halton s specific value proposition for each of the identified priority sectors: Financial Services, Engineering, and Information Communication Technology. This work will support investment attraction activities in Entrepreneurship and Innovation - The Small Business Centre hosted the annual Bridges to Better Business Event on October 15 - G.R.O.W. Your Business (Getting Results Online Workshop), featuring sessions on social media and web development, as well as a lunch speaker from Constant Contact presenting on marketing online. The event was attended by 50+ clients of the Centre. - In November, the Small Business Centre partnered with the Provincial and Federal Government to present a workshop on Doing Business with Government. The session included presentations by the Federal and Provincial government as well as the Halton Purchasing Co-operative Group. - Two participants in the Starter Company (youth business) program were successful in receiving a $5,000 grant to assist with the start-up of their businesses. The mentoring component of the program also commenced in 7

8 October connecting the program participants with volunteer professionals from the local community. Quality of Place (Including Tourism and Physician Recruitment) - Halton McMaster Family Health Centre held its official opening November 28, This newly built state-of-the-art family medicine clinic is located on the grounds of Joseph Brant Hospital, adjacent to the hospital s new parking structure. The Family Health Centre is a hub for the 16 family medicine residents training in Halton. Economic Development Reporting In order to ensure that Committee and Council are provided with more relevant and timesensitive information, Economic Development staff are recommending that the Region s quarterly economic data reporting move away from a paper-based staff report to Committee, to a quarterly electronic e-newsletter which will be distributed in a more timely fashion following the close of each quarter and far ahead of the current timeframes required to produce staff reports for Committee and Council. In addition to providing realtime information, the e-newsletter approach has the additional advantage of directing our various recipients to visit our website/data centre for further information. All members of Regional Council will be placed on the recipient list for this e-newsletter and the e- newsletter will be complemented by providing real-time posts using the Region s social media channel for business announcements and the like. Members of Regional Council would also be able to follow Economic Development via Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. to receive these various announcements. With this two-pronged approach, staff can improve the timeliness and effectiveness of our communications with our audience and particularly, Regional Council and create an effective means by which to send our readers back to our website, elements which cannot be done as well through the current quarterly reporting process to Committee and Council. In order to implement this approach, staff will undertake the following actions: - Members of Regional Council will be placed on an distribution list to receive a quarterly electronic newsletter that will provide key highlights of business activity and investment in Halton. This e-newsletter will be distributed in a timely fashion following the close of the quarter and will direct recipients to visit our website/data centre for further information. Quarterly staff reports to Committee will be discontinued. 8

9 - Key information such as business announcements will be posted on Halton Region s social media channels (e.g. Twitter, LinkedIn) during each quarter. Members of Regional Council will be invited to follow the Region on social media to receive these timely updates. - Quarterly information regarding building permits and economic conditions will be published on the Halton Region Economic Data Centre (Halton.ca/datacentre) as soon as possible following the close of the quarter. Additionally, the Economic Development section of Halton.ca will be updated on an ongoing basis to publish Halton-related businesses news as it is announced, ensuring key stakeholders have access to this information in a timely fashion. - Economic Development staff will prepare annual staff reports (following each yearend s activities) to Regional Council highlighting key Economic Development staff initiatives as well as further analysis on business investment and economic conditions. 9

10 FINANCIAL/PROGRAM IMPLICATIONS The cost of preparing the Economic Development quarterly report is funded from the Economic Development 2015 Operating Budget. Respectfully submitted, John Davidson Director, Economic Development Mark G. Meneray Commissioner, Legislative & Planning Services and Corporate Counsel Approved by Jane MacCaskill Chief Administrative Officer If you have any questions on the content of this report, please contact: John Davidson Tel. # 7828 Christine Carrington Tel. # 7132 Attachments: None 10