Appendix - Dynamic Presentation, following the March 21, 2017 GVCA AGM on the Guild Inn Estate by Shelly Primeau (GM) and Francesca Bancheri (Head of Marketing and Sales).

The presentation started with Shelly stating that the Guild property and development had a lot of support and had generated excitement in and beyond the local community. She went on to add that having spoken with many people in Guildwood, Dynamic had a very clear understanding of the wants and needs of the community. Dynamic is looking to hire locally and is speaking with the Parks and Recreation department to determine reduced rates for community groups who would like to utilize the property. Shelly went on to state that 250 events had already been booked for the 2017-2018 season, with the first being a wedding on April 28. To that end, Dynamic is prioritizing the completion of the events space, with the renovation of the restaurant slated to be finished by sometime in June.

Francesca then gave a short update on the progress of the ongoing construction. At this point, the event space is well on its way to completion, with drywall and chandeliers in place and flooring started. The event space consists of 4 ballrooms, each with a capacity of 230 guests, which can be hired separately or together. A terrace outside this area will be subdivided as required. The 4000 square foot Gazebo is also able to accommodate up to 450 guests for a wedding ceremony or 300 people at a sit down meal. This area is not fully enclosed and is currently not anticipated to be used during winter months. The Bickford Inn has been restuccoed on the front and new windows have been installed. The original staircase will also be restored. This space has been opened up to accommodate a new kitchen and larger restaurant able to host up to 80 guests, with offices above. Dynamic is also adding a patio and plans to bring back a Sunday brunch menu. The opening date and hours for the restaurant have yet to be determined.

Upon completion of the presentation, the floor was opened to questions. The responses garnered from these have been summarized below.

  • Parking at the facility is being completed by the City and is anticipated to take another one to two months to complete. It will consist of four parking areas, with 300 spaces to accommodate the 1000 guest capacity. This is the ratio of spaces calculated for most event locations and thus is expected to accommodate their needs, with room to spare for locals hoping to visit the park. For events, Valet Parking will be available for an additional charge.
  • The Gazebo has an enclosed wall facing the Parkway and is only open at the front, facing towards the lake and gardens. Events in this area are currently only booked during daytime hours, but should they start booking evening events, any noise issues which may impact the community will be assessed.
  • The main purpose of the site is to provide event space for weddings, anniversaries, conferences, graduations etc... The site floor plan does have accommodation for four Bridal suites to be added to the upper level of the Bickford Inn, but this will be the only accommodation. Pictures taken on the grounds of the Guild Inn will continue to be booked through the City. Dynamic will make every effort to inform guests of periods when pictures may not be taken, due to community events occurring in the park.
  • The restaurant is anticipated to open in the first week of June, but the date and hours of operation have yet to be determined. A separate bar is not being built, but there will be one to provide drinks to restaurant patrons.
  • Community involvement in the development of the site has existed from the beginning of the project and Dynamic hopes to continue this partnership. To this end they anticipate an open door policy with respect to comments or complaints.
  • Since Dynamic operations are located adjacent to a public park, security features such as cameras and key locks, along with the possibility of personnel patrolling the property are anticipated.

Dynamic did also provide a website address GuildInnEstate.com, which they will update with information on the restaurant, once it is known. The presentation was closed with the announcement of a projected open house date of June 8, to which everyone was invited.