BBB Architects & Stadium Consultants International selected for the Ryerson
University Sports and Recreation Centre at Maple Leaf Gardens

TORONTO, March 1 /CNW/ - Ryerson University President Sheldon Levy announced today that BBB Architects (BBB) & Stadium Consultants International (SCI) have been selected to provide architectural design services for the Ryerson University Sports and Recreation Centre at Maple Leaf Gardens.

The project involves the revitalization and conversion of part of Maple Leaf Gardens to a new, multi-functional athletic and recreational centre. The new centre will be located on the upper floors of Maple Leaf Gardens, covering a space of nearly 150,000 square feet, and will supplement the university's current 20-year-old facility. Plans for the facility include a hockey rink, basketball and volleyball courts, and other recreational and academic spaces. The new facility is for Ryerson students but will also be accessible to the community.

"BBB Architects & Stadium Consultants International are the ideal team to create a new sports and recreation centre in a historic Toronto landmark and one of the most famous buildings in Canada," said Levy. "They have a great track record and an international reputation for building and renovating major sports-related facilities around the world. They design superb multi-functional spaces that serve students, the general public and professional athletes alike."

BBB Architects, with offices in Toronto and Ottawa, specializes in sports and entertainment centres as well as university and science complexes. SCI, a wholly owned subsidiary of BBB, is a multi-disciplinary firm specializing in the financial and physical planning, development and implementation of sports and recreation facilities.

BBB were the architects for the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, General Motors Place in Vancouver, Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, and Malmo Arena in Sweden. BBB Architects has received more than 30 design awards, including two Massey Medals (the Governor General's Award for Architecture).

BBB/SCI is currently leading the renovation of Madison Square Garden in New York City, and has led renovations to Calgary's Pengrowth Saddledome, Edmonton's Rexall Place, Toronto's Ricoh Coliseum, and the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.

"BBB Architects/SCI are thrilled to be the architects for the Ryerson University Sports and Recreation Centre at Maple Leaf Gardens," said Chris O'Reilly, Partner, BBB Architects and Partner-in-Charge of the Ryerson project. "This is a unique opportunity to create an exciting multi-use sports and recreation facility for the university and, at the same time, celebrate the heritage of one of the most iconic arenas in the world."

Added Greg Alexander, Design Partner, BBB Architects: "Our goal is to preserve the look and feel of historic Maple Leaf Gardens to the extent possible, while providing a modernized facility for Ryerson students."

Overall, the BBB/SCI team has worked on more than 100 sports-related projects, including numerous commissions for post-secondary institutions and initiatives with the NHL, NBA and Major League Baseball.

The Ryerson University Sports and Recreation Centre at Maple Leaf Gardens is a $60 million project, made possible by a contribution of up to $20 million from the Government of Canada through Canada's Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, and $20 million from Ryerson University through student fees. The final $20 million will be raised by Ryerson and Loblaw Companies Limited through a joint fundraising campaign, including a $5 million contribution from Loblaw. The project will be completed by March 31, 2011.

The Ryerson University Sports and Recreation Centre will occupy part of Maple Leaf Gardens. The remaining part will be redeveloped by Loblaw Companies Limited. Both Ryerson and Loblaw will own their portion of the completed building.

Ryerson University is Canada's leader in innovative career-focused education, offering close to 100 PhD, master's, and undergraduate programs in the Faculty of Arts; the Faculty of Communication & Design; the Faculty of Community Services; the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Science; and the Ted Rogers School of Management. Ryerson University has graduate and undergraduate enrolment of 28,000 students. With more than 68,000 registrations annually, The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education is Canada's leading provider of university-based adult education.

For further information on the Ryerson University Sports and Recreation Centre at Maple Leaf Gardens go to: http://www.ryerson.ca/news/media/spotlight/mlg/

For further information: Michael Forbes, [phone], [email protected]; Heather Kearney, Ryerson University, [phone] x. 4282, [email protected]