TORONTO — Toronto Transit Commission’s headquarters is being described as a “hell hole” by its own CEO.
“From the outside on the street it looks pretty good but the conditions within the building have deteriorated over the last 10 years,” said Andy Byford, TTC CEO.
“There comes a point where basic economics say there is no point in throwing good money in this building and I cannot any longer ignore the appalling working conditions that my staff have to endure here.”
The building, which was built in 1958, is located just over the busy Davisville station and accommodates 400 employees.
Mould has been found beneath the buildings carpets and the headquarters is currently unequipped with a sprinkler system.
“I would describe it as a hell hole,” Byford said.
“The second floor, the third floor the fourth floor is grim … people are working in … converted cupboards, there’s paint peeling off the wall, there is mould everywhere, carpets held together by duct tape, it’s completely unacceptable.”
TTC Chair Josh Colle said he will be putting a motion forward on Monday that will ask TTC staff to accelerate a process to see TTC office space consolidated.
The TTC currently leases seven offices throughout the city, which includes TTC headquarters and Colle said they were looking “for a solution that would have all of them consolidated in one spot under one roof” to save costs.
“It’s inefficient to have this patch work of spaces and an inefficient spaces,” he said.
“It’s just doesn’t make for well-run company and if we want to focus on us being excellent operators and provide the best service for our customers, these are the things that need to be done and should have been done a long time ago.”
Colle said there are lots of possible locations that could serve as the new headquarters. “We have to find a new place. I think there are lots of options around,” Colle said.
“It has to be central and recognizing that we have signed all these leases now.”
Colle added he will be asking for a timeline on when existing leases would expire.
“We could see an end solution and it doesn’t require all these continuation extensions of temporary leases and the costs that come with them,” he said.
If the TTC were to get rid of the Davisville property, it would be transferred to Build Toronto.
“It’s not like we get a big fat cheque by selling a property,” Colle said.
“My motion also speaks about working with Build Toronto and Toronto Real Estate Services on possible solutions … there could be a revenue generating option that comes out of this, but more than anything it’s just incredibly inefficient and costly the way we are conducting out business now.”
Leased space currently costs the TTC $8.4 million annually as of 2014.
The motion will be put forward to the TTC board on Nov. 23.
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