This toolkit, developed by IMAA and completed in May 2020, includes a comprehensive analysis of Canadian arts organizations’ challenges in securing and maintaining affordable real estate, as well as a detailed resource toolkit of template documents, official guides, and sample documents from several Canadian arts organizations. This toolkit can be used as a resource for any non-profit arts organization that is looking to rent/purchase/design a new space for its operations to take place.

This first section of the toolkit contains documents that are helpful for the first steps in planning a real estate project, including long-term project outlines, sample feasibility assessments, and examples from La Meduse Arts Centre, PAVED Arts/AKA, and TMAC.

a. Typical Real Estate Development Process – Outline  (PDF) 

A one-pager simplified real estate development process chart.

b. Financial Feasibility Report – Sample  (PDF)

A sample of an early-stage assessment (Feasibility Study) of whether a co-location real estate project involving 3 separate non-profit organizations is likely to be successful.

c. Project Chronology – La Meduse Arts Centre, Quebec City  (PDF, French Only)

Chronology of the history for the establishment of la Meduse arts centre in Quebec City (en francais).

d. La Meduse Arts Centre’s Effect on Saint Roch. Neighbourhood – Study (PDF, French Only) 

A 2007 research study to investigate the factors to attract and retain artists in the neighbourhood surrounding la Meduse in Quebec City.

e. Project Chronology – 20 Above (PAVED Arts/AKA), Saskatoon  (Word Document) 

20 Above is the real estate holding company which is jointly owned (50/50) by PAVED Arts and AKA Gallery Inc. organizations in Saskatoon.  This document outlines their process to purchase, finance and renovate a space for production and operations in Saskatoon.

f. Project Chronology – TMAC, Toronto (Word Document) 

Chronology of the long history of events, with links to related documents and agreements, outlining the process leading to the establishment of TMAC in Toronto (from the TMAC website).

g. Initial Feasibility Study – TMAC, Toronto (PDF) 

Very initial feasibility study with the initial 6 participating non-profit organizations to examine the opportunity to create the Cultural Arts Centre Toronto Inc.(cacti) for what has become TMAC.