Staples Center - Los Angeles, USA

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Background

The Staples Center project, also referred to as the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment District, was one of the largest economic projects in downtown Los Angeles. This project included the development of two major hotels, luxury condominiums, an office tower, a 7000-seat theater for live performances, a 14-screen movie theater, a convention centre expansion, and plazas for entertainment, restaurant, and retail businesses (Saito & Truong, 2015). The project was a $2.5 billion investment and public subsidies were estimated to be $150 million (Partnerships for Working Families, 2015). The project was completed in 2010 and covers a total of 27 acres (Saito & Truong, 2015).

Details of CBA

Los Angeles is thought to be the ‘home of the CBA’, and this project was thought to be the first comprehensive CBA in the United States which further “catalyzed a national movement” (Saito & Truong, 2015). Several other CBAs were modelled by the one created for the Staples Center project and has increased awareness about the benefits of CBAs as a part of an equitable development policy. The Figueroa Corridor Coalition for Economic Justice was formed by labor and community-based organizations in order to negotiate a CBA for the Staples Center project in May 2001 with the developer, Anschutz Entertainment Group (Partnerships for Working Families, 2015). The aims were to include provisions for affordable housing, local hiring, and living wage jobs (Saito & Truong, 2015).

Achievements Thus Far

The Staples Center CBA was tremendously successful in negotiating and implementing community benefits (Partnerships for Working Families, 2015). These include: 

1. Developer-funded assessment of community park and recreation needs, and a $1 million commitment toward meeting those needs.
2. 70% of the jobs created in the project will pay the city’s living wage, and consultation with the coalition on the selection of tenants.
3. First source hiring program targeting job opportunities to low-income individuals and those displaced by the project.
4. Increased affordable housing requirements, and a commitment of seed money for other affordable housing projects. 
5. Developer funding for a residential parking program for surrounding neighborhoods.
6. Standards for responsible contracting and leasing decisions by the developer.
7. The residents who negotiated this CBA were primarily low-income minorities and undocumented immigrants. This CBA, along with the others that followed, began to demonstrate a shift in power to unions and the working-class. Through negotiating the Staples Center CBA, the developer gained support from service unions and community organizations. This was crucial as the opposition can result in development delays and reduction of profits, thus ultimately leading to termination of projects from litigation costs or project delays. Through changing policies and advocating for the community, this CBA was able to bring about benefits to the residents and profits for the developers (Saito & Truong, 2015).

Background

Oakland’s first CBA was finalized in 2006 due to the redevelopment of 64 acres of waterfront property that created controversy amongst the residents. Planned for the site are more than 3,000 residential units and a retail complex (Partnership for Working Families, 2010). The agreement, entered into by the coalition members and the redevelopment agency, focuses primarily on affordable housing. This CBA was made possible by the collaboration of environment, labour, and faith organizations standing together, advocating for what they want as a community. The coalition, prioritized resident member meetings and surveys about the importance of affordable housing and job access for low-income families. As a result, the coalition won significant housing for low-income families (Partnership for Working Families, 2010).

Details of CBA

The Oak to 9th CBA focuses primarily on affordable housing, in which the agreement outlines that the units provided should be at no greater than affordable rent to households earning 25-60% of area median income for at least 55 years from the first occupancy of the project units (Oak to Ninth Agreement, 2006). As well, the CBA ensures that no less than 25% of all project units are provided exclusively for seniors, no less than 30% of units must be 3 bedroom units, and no less than 20% must be two-bedroom units (Oak to Ninth Agreement, 2006).

Achievements Thus Far

Although, Oak to 9th project is still ongoing, there have been tremendous successes and promising changes have been made (Partnership for Working Families, 2010).

1. Currently, 465 out of 3,100 units are being built to make it affordable for families earning $50,000 or less.
2. 116 units (approximately 25%) of the affordable units being built will be for senior housing.
3. 300 jobs created for Oakland residents who are just starting out their career in construction.
4. $1.65 million of the project budget is allocated towards construction training programs to address the specific workforce barriers faced by immigrants and former prisoners re-entering the workforce.

Background

Vancouver remains one of the first Canadian cities in which CBAs have taken an established practice. This policy guides all forms of social procurement and infrastructure development in the province. However, the CBA principle started from the ground up – from when there was no principle, practice, or policy in place to when there is now one in place and in full practice.

The purpose of a CBA is to ensure that development brings improvement in the lives of people through local hiring and social procurement. With a quarter of Vancouver’s residents living below the Low-Income Measure, the third highest rate of any city in Canada, and with the second highest income gap of any Canadian city, Vancouver’s CBA policy attempts to ensure decent paying jobs across the life-cycle of development are more equitably distributed in communities (City of Vancouver, 2017). For Vancouver residents, the CBA policy emphasizes equity of opportunity for residents. This CBA Policy was introduced in 2018 for key public sector projects focusing predominantly on maximizing apprenticeship opportunities on major projects, increasing membership in unions, and in creating opportunities for employment and skill development for Indigenous people and women (City of Vancouver, 2017).

One of the most successful CBAs in Vancouver is the Vancouver Olympic Village site CBA. This CBA, however, was in place before the institution of the CBA policy. It’s success likely played a part in the development and implementation of Vancouver’s CBA policy. On September 24, 2007, a CBA was signed for the development of a 7-hectare site in Southeast False Creek, later to be called the Olympic Village site. Signed by Millennium Southeast False Creek (SEFC) Properties Ltd. (Millennium), the City of Vancouver, and Building Opportunities with Business Inner-City Society (BOB), this agreement outlined several commitments and targets that would ensure that this economic development project would deliver direct benefits to Vancouver’s inner-city residents and businesses (Peachey, 2009). This property will house athletes and officials during the 2010 Winter Olympics and subsequently form the community, retail, commercial and residential hub of the newly developed SEFC neighborhood (Peachey, 2009) 

It is important that this CBA is understood in the context of two earlier agreements. Firstly, the Vancouver Agreement is a historic agreement signed by Canada, the Province of BC, and the City of Vancouver in March 2000 (Vancouver Agreement, 2010). This initial 5-year agreement since extended to March 2010 is a much-lauded initiative to coordinate the efforts and resources of all three levels of government to support sustainable social, economic, and community development in Vancouver’s inner-city (Peachey, 2009). Similarly, in 2003, the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Bid Corporation and its three government partners developed the Inner-City Inclusivity Commitments (ICI) formalizing the intent to maximize the opportunities and mitigate the potential impacts from hosting the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver’s inner-city neighborhoods (Vancouver 2010 Olympics, 2019). When the bid to host the Games was successful, the ICI was subsequently adopted by the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC). Implementation of the ICI is a shared responsibility of VANOC, the City of Vancouver, the Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada (Peachey, 2009).

Details of CBA

Based on the above context under which Vancouver Olympic Village site CBA was developed, the targets for the developer under the CBA were straightforward and concise.

1. Direct hiring and employment: Millennium (the developer) and its contractors will hire a minimum of 100 inner-city residents who have completed job training for entry-level positions.
2. Training (indirect hiring) and procurement goals: Millennium      will contribute $750,000 to Building Opportunities with Business Inner-City Society (BOB) to provide inner-city residents with job training and coaching and to support procurement goals. As well, Millennium and BOB will work cooperatively to procure $15,000,000 worth of goods, products, equipment and services from qualified registered businesses located in or      supportive of the inner-city.
3. Supplier registration and referrals: Millennium will encourage its major suppliers to register and work with BOB to      maximize the benefits of business activities to the inner-city.

Achievements Thus Far

The Vancouver Olympic Village site CBA is one of the earliest success of CBAs in Vancouver and British Columbia province despite some controversies which surrounded the outcome of the deal between Millennium, City of Vancouver, and BOB (Building Opportunities with Business Inner-City Society) – the community partner. The success of this CBA has gone on to serve as a context for the development and engagement of further CBAs, as well as the institution of a CBA policy in the City of Vancouver. Specifically, the key successes of the Vancouver Olympic Village site CBA are:

1. Employment program results: According to data available, over 300 individuals were interviewed for participation in the Olympic village site employment program. Of these, just over 100 individuals were accepted for training (Peachey, 2009). Unsuccessful candidates were referred on or back to other programs and organizations. Of the people accepted into the program, 70% were inner-city residents while 30% were connected to the inner-city through agencies or other relationships (Peachey, 2009).
2. Participants in the program came from a variety of backgrounds. The largest group, 54%, self-identified as Canadian. Another 22% identified as Aboriginal, while 19% identified as status landed immigrants and 5% identified as status refugees (Peachey, 2009).
3. Training program delivered: In total, 6 pre-employment training sessions and 10 CORE training courses were delivered under the CBA (Peachey, 2009). Class sizes ranged from between 7 and 15 individuals. The first CORE session, dubbed CORE-Light was a 2 week course for participants with previous construction or related industry experience. CORE 1 through 8 were delivered as 6-week courses. On average, 80% of candidates who entered into the program completed the courses and were provided the opportunity to work in the construction sector (Peachey, 2009).
4. Employment created: In total, 120 people were placed in construction jobs: 87 on the Olympic Village Site and 33 on construction sites elsewhere in the city (Peachey, 2009). Of the 120 individuals placed in jobs, 91 (76%) continued to work well past the 12-week employment threshold recognized by Canada Employment Standards (Peachey, 2009).
5. Procurement program results: Records show that Millennium and its subcontractors recorded almost $42 million in spending to companies either located in the inner-city or supportive of the inner-city through various contracts and programs (Peachey, 2009). This figure far exceeds the $15 million procurement target committed to in the CBA.
6. Opportunities through Business Registry: Records show that approximately half of the inner-city suppliers recorded by Millennium registered with the  Construction Directory. However, only 3 of the 11 companies that supplied more than $350,000 to the site chose to register with BOB (Peachey, 2009). It appears that for these larger suppliers neither the benefits of registering nor the imperative to do so (despite encouraging language in contracts between Millennium and its suppliers) were sufficient motivators (Peachey, 2009).

In Canada, Vancouver is the first major city to introduce a municipal-level CBA Policy. In September of 2018, the Vancouver City Council implemented a formal CBA Policy outlining that development projects that exceed 45,000 m2 must follow the terms of a CBA (City of Vancouver, 2018). Before the establishment of this policy, CBAs in the City of Vancouver were not standardized, lacking predictability, effective implementation and monitoring (City of Vancouver, 2018). Through the lessons learned from past CBAs within the last decade, such as Parq Urban Resort and Casino pilot, this policy seeks to provide consistency for future CBAs with active collaboration between government, industry, and communities.

Specifically, the CBAs involve three main components: (1) first source hiring; (2) social procurement; and (3) supplier diversity (City of Vancouver, 2018). First source hiring refers to ensuring 10% of new entry-level jobs are made available to Vancouver residents, specifically those who are equity-seeking. Social procurement includes the consideration of social and environmental impacts when purchasing goods and services from local businesses. Finally, supplier diversity refers to purchasing from organizations that are at least 51% owned by women, Indigenous peoples, visible minorities, members of the LGBTQ2S+ community, someone with a recognizable disability, immigrants, or refugees.

Further, this policy was informed by four lessons learned from past CBAs (City of Vancouver, 2018). Firstly, CBA implementation must be flexible and adaptable to maximize social benefits. For effective CBA implementation, it is also necessary to combine community knowledge and expertise with local industry knowledge. Moreover, labour procurement should be made a priority, especially if achieving material procurement targets are not feasible. Lastly, community benefits should extend beyond project construction and be embedded into long-term, ongoing operations.

Background

Parkdale is considered to be one of the last affordable neighborhoods in downtown Toronto. However, this narrative is quickly changing, as the wealth divide between the Northern and Southern parts of Parkdale is at its highest (Statistics Canada, 2018). The rise in real estate and economic developments in Parkdale has led to a decline in tenants’ rights and equity (e.g., unlawful rent increases, evictions, displacements). Furthermore, long-term and local businesses are being evicted due to large and unsustainable rental increases (Parkdale People’s Economy, 2018). With such pressing issues, the Parkdale People’s Economy, a network consisting of over 30 community-based organizations and hundreds of residents, created the Parkdale Community Planning Study to address the impacts of gentrification on community well-being in the neighbourhood. The Parkdale CBA, established in 2016, was one of the results of this study (Parkdale Community Economic Development, 2016).

Details of CBA

The Parkdale CBA was created to ensure equitable development in the neighbourhood by advocating for the community’s needs and priorities (Parkdale People’s Economy, 2018). Like all community benefits frameworks, the purpose of this is to ensure that developers, investors, and policymakers collaborate with key local stakeholders in the decision-making process to ensure that residents are benefitting from local economic growth. Specifically, the five key principles of the Parkdale CBA are:

1. Equitable process: “We support developments that benefit existing residents by meeting and prioritizing the needs of community members at risk of displacement.”
2. Affordable housing: “We support developments that address housing justice by guaranteeing permanently affordable, accessible, and adequate units.”
3. Affordable commercial: “We seek the creation and preservation of affordable commercial space for  community agencies and locally-serving small businesses that reflect the  character of Parkdale.”
4. Decent work: “We support developments that address economic justice by creating decent work opportunities for equity-seeking community members in Parkdale.”
5. Community assets: “We support developments that serve community needs and enhance community wellbeing by supporting community space and resources, health and food security, and social and natural infrastructure.”

The CBA is specific and sets out a clear list of targets and demands that can be used by key stakeholders in negotiating and advocating for sound agreements (Parkdale People’s Economy, 2018). The framework was specifically designed to be:

1. Responsive: The framework can be adapted based on the scale of development and investment.
2. Proactive: The framework provides a clear list of community-approved standards and demands.
3. Community-driven: The framework requires negotiations with the community and local accountability.

Achievements Thus Far

The Parkdale People’s Economy has been officially recognized as the Neighbourhood Planning Table for South Parkdale, which has allowed for institutional support from the City of Toronto (Parkdale People’s Economy, 2018). Since early 2017, it has played an instrumental role in ensuring the successes of the Parkdale CBA through the following ways:

1. Building a coalition: The group has engaged over 30 community organizations, three local anchor institutions, and 650 community members in discussions surrounding community benefits.
2. Public education: The group has held several panel discussions with a focus on development and community benefits.
3. Community workshops: The group has hosted community workshops on articulating demands, setting targets, and reviewing targets.
4. Tracking and researching: The group has been tracking public, private, and community-led developments in Parkdale to better understand the potential role of community benefits.
5. Testing: The group held neighbourhood assemblies on contentious developments to prepare and vote on a platform of demands for community benefits.

Background

Line 5 Eglinton, announced in 2007, was part of the implementation of six other light rail lines across Toronto. (Crosslinx, 2016) The immediate goal was to leverage this $5.3 billion infrastructure investment to create economic opportunities for residents from historically disadvantaged groups. (TCBN, 2017) This 19-kilometre corridor will include a 10-kilometre underground portion, between Keele Street and Laird Drive. The Crosstown will have up to 25 stations and will link to 54 bus routes, three subway stations and various GO Transit lines. (Crosslinx, 2016) It remains the largest transit expansion in the history of Toronto. In 2014, the TCBN and Metrolinx signed the Metrolinx CBA that committed to local hiring and social procurement in the construction of new transit in Toronto. Metrolinx expects Eglinton LRT to be completed by 2022. (Crosslinx, 2016)

Details of CBA

The five guiding principles of the Metrolinx CBA are listed below (TCBN, 2017):

1. Provide equitable economic opportunities that promote economic inclusion for all Toronto residents. 
2. Contribute to the integration of skilled newcomers into professional, administrative, and technical jobs. 
3. Support social enterprises and other related vehicles to economic inclusion through commitments to social procurement. 
4. Contribute to neighbourhood and environmental improvements through building new transit infrastructure.
5. Ensure clear commitments and accountability from all parties to deliver.

Achievements Thus Far

There are various achievements associated with this CBA, which include (TCBN, 2017):

1. Apprenticeship opportunities: Crosslinx Transit Solutions (CTS) and partners have publicly committed to having historically disadvantaged residents perform 10% of all trade or craft working hours required to construct the Project. 
2. Opportunities to skilled newcomers: CTS worked with service delivery agencies to establish a framework for hiring skilled newcomers. The target of hiring at least 50 newcomers have already been exceeded. 
3. Neighbourhood improvements: Community groups also advocated for the preservation of the Kodak building as a historical site. The building will be incorporated into the design of the Mount Dennis LRT station, with part of the building earmarked for community use. The community also successfully organized against the construction of a gas power plant at the Mount Dennis station, which will be replaced by a battery system. 
4. Moving forward: TCBN is looking forward to using future infrastructure investment dollars for community benefits, taking what they learned from the Eglinton LRT as a precedent. As well, working with the communities involved to help start and continue the conversation related to housing and neighbourhood economic development through Eglinton LRT. 

Background

Finch West LRT is a new 11-kilometre light rail transit line in Northwest Toronto with an expected completion date of 2023. A total of 18 new stops and stations with access and connections to the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), GO Transit, MiWay, York Region Transit (YRT) and Züm, will be constructed and completed. Mosaic Transit Group was awarded the contract valued at $2.5 billion on May 2018 to spearhead the project specifically the design, construction, finance and maintenance of the Finch West LRT (Infrastructure Ontario, 2018; Metrolinx, 2019). 

Details of CBA

Metrolinx recognizes that major infrastructure investments should provide benefits for the communities including employment, apprenticeship, local suppliers, and social procurement opportunities. In collaboration with Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, Metrolinx is currently working with the Toronto Community Benefits Network (TCBN) to finalize a community benefits program for the Finch West LRT project by building on the same framework agreed on for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT (Metrolinx, n.d., 2019). 

The five guiding principles of the Metrolinx CBA are listed below (TCBN, 2017):

1. Provide equitable economic opportunities that promote economic inclusion for all Toronto residents. 
2. Contribute to the integration of skilled newcomers into professional, administrative, and technical jobs. 
3. Support social enterprises and other related vehicles to economic inclusion through commitments to social procurement. 
4. Contribute to neighbourhood and environmental improvements through building new transit infrastructure.
5. Ensure clear commitments and accountability from all parties to deliver.

Achievements Thus Far

The Finch-West LRT is following the model established for the Eglinton Crosstown in terms of employment opportunities. The additional request made by community voices was for the creation of a community hub and centre for the arts and that Metrolinx provide land for its creation. That request was agreed to by the previous government, and was subsequently withdrawn with the change in government. A massive community campaign was launched to hold the government to previous commitment. Bowing to the pressure created by residents, TCBN and partner organizations the Ontario Government announced the Community Hub land transfer would continue and the allocated lands provided. The Hub experienced reinforced the need for community and resident power to back up and enforce CB gains. 

• Firm targets within the Project Agreement
• Apprenticeships and professional, administrative and technical jobs for historically-disadvantaged communities and equity seeking groups
• Social procurement for social enterprise, diverse suppliers and local businesses
• A community hub and centre for the art

Background

Toronto city council and staff working with community residents have pioneered Community Benefits (Framework) Agreements. However, there was no codified and formal bylaw to guide staff and residents on how Community Benefits Agreements might be broadly used. The Toronto Community Benefits Network, after three years of advocacy by residents and community groups, convinced Toronto’s city council to support a landmark Community Benefits Framework. On July 18th, 2019, the City of Toronto agreed to leverage their buying power to create more opportunities for training and well-paying careers in the trades through Apprenticeships with firm targets to employ residents from Toronto’s historically disadvantaged communities equity seeking groups. The Framework will also provide locally owned diverse businesses and social enterprises to access City contracts through a broader social procurement policy.

The Framework intends to be an “umbrella framework” that guides, supports and provides coordination across different City Divisions, Agencies, and Corporations who have existing or are developing new community benefits initiatives.

Currently, the Community Benefits Framework is at the development and testing stage. 

The community benefits framework will apply to:

• City Led Projects - Construction projects of the City and its Divisions, Agencies, and Corporations
• City Owned Land - As requirements within leases on City-owned land (e.g. Real Estate Services, CreateTO, Housing Now Affordable Housing Initiatives)
• Financial Incentive - Where the City is providing a financial incentive for a new private development project 
• Voluntary - Where community groups and developers are both willing to enter into discussions about community benefits on private developments on privately-owned land

Details of CBA

The adopted Community Benefits Framework will include an Alignment with the City's Social Procurement Policy to ensure solid targets for workforce development. Those targets will vary between 5-10%, depending on the project. There is a commitment to hiring a new Community Benefits Coordinator to support tracking, reporting and implementation at the City. The establishment and convening of a multi-stakeholder Community Benefits Advisory Group (including representation from equity seeking groups) to provide expertise, address real-time community benefits implementation challenges and solutions, and promote transparency and accountability in the City's community benefits activities

The Community Benefits Coordinator will work with a data analyst to develop and implement a City-wide community benefits data system to monitor, track and report on City of Toronto community benefits targets and/or achievements on a project by project basis, to be published on a City webpage.

It will utilize the Sir Robert L. Borden property located at 200 Poplar Road,  the Scarborough Training Centre, as a job skills training centre to assist job candidates from equity seeking groups, including Indigenous peoples, by providing pre-employment training and employment supports prior to and during employment, to maximize job position retention in eastern Scarborough.

Achievements Thus Far

The City of Toronto adopted on Feb 5th, 2021 a report and action items with recommendations to advance the City of Toronto's community benefit initiatives, including additional and/or higher minimum hard targets; It is also undertaking a jurisdictional scan of best practices related to hard targets on community benefits, including community engagement, criteria and actual hard targets. It has committed to studying the required resources to move the Community Benefits Framework forward.

A report is expected back in 2022 with a status update on the Community Benefits Framework Implementation Plan, and recommendations for Community Benefits Framework future direction.

Background

The Gordie Howe International Bridge is a project to develop a 2.5 kilometre, cable-stayed bridge, connecting the regions of Windsor and Detroit (WDBA, n.d.). The project aims to enhance transportation for international travellers, as well as provide jobs and opportunities for growth to the Windsor-Detroit region. Through public-private partnerships, this project uses collaborative efforts that involve community stakeholders at all levels. 

Details of CBA

In 2012, the Government of Canada and the State of Michigan signed the Canada-Michigan Crossing Agreement, mandating the use of a CBA for this project (WDBA, 2018). Bridging North America is the organization responsible for including a robust CBA that will provide economic opportunities within the Windsor-Detroit region, contribute positively to workforce development programs, enhance economic inclusion, and deliver neighbourhood improvements. The CBA is based on community input and encompasses the principles of being integrated, collaborative, accessible, regional, and enterprising (WDBA, 2018). 

This proposed CBA consists of two strategies: (1) The Workforce Development and Participation Strategy; and (2) The Neighbourhood Infrastructure Strategy. The Workforce Development and Participation Strategy focuses on providing employment opportunities for the workforce, training, and apprenticeships (WDBA, 2018). This strategy aims to employ workers or contractors within the City of Windsor, which would amount to at least $250 million of the total value of the work. Additionally, it aims to engage and employ Indigenous Peoples within and around the City of Windsor, Essex County, and Walpole Island. Finally, the strategy will employ Detroit residents and work with Detroit-based businesses. The Neighbourhood Infrastructure Strategy consists of a $20 million community infrastructure investment that will address the identified priorities that have been developed through community benefit consultations since 2015 (WDBA, 2018). The benefits include building community partnerships, mitigating the impacts of construction for nearby communities, community safety and connections (e.g., strengthening cycling infrastructure), economic benefits, and aesthetics and landscaping (e.g., community art projects, greenspaces). 

Achievements Thus Far

Up to this time, the proposed CBA has led to significant community engagement. Specifically, community members were engaged through public meetings, focus groups, one-on-one meetings, emails, and letters. Since 2015, Michigan and Ontario residents, Indigenous Peoples, and community leaders have provided over 230 suggestions for community benefits (WDBA, 2018). The CBA is still not finalized yet, however Bridging North America has already started implementing various community benefits initiatives. For example, connections are being made with local workforce agencies to promote job postings and employment opportunities (WDBA, 2018). Bridging North America is currently in the process of engaging with stakeholders, community members, elected officials, and businesses to undertake further consultations with the communities (WDBA, 2018). In summary, the development of this CBA has been and will continue to be a collaborative process, with active involvement from community members, Indigenous Peoples, and relevant stakeholders. The Gordie Howe International Bridge project aims to address community-identified priorities through the use of a CBA, providing key opportunities and positive outcomes for the Windsor-Detroit region.