Architectural Firm Chosen for the New Toronto Courthouse Project

TORONTO, Dec. 3, 2015 /CNW/ - The new Toronto courthouse project is moving forward with the selection of AECOM Canada Ltd. as the planning, design and compliance (PDC) team.

As the PDC team, AECOM Canada Ltd. will prepare project documents, including output specifications that will form the guidelines and performance requirements the successful building team must meet when preparing the project's design. The PDC team will also monitor construction progress and provide coordination and oversight during the project's construction, commissioning and completion, as well as during the transition to the new courthouse.

Located steps from St. Patrick subway station, directly north of the Superior Court of Justice, the new Toronto courthouse will bring together in a single location several courts operating across the city. Amalgamation of justice programs and services is expected to reduce operational and facilities costs, make court administration more efficient, and better serve the community. 

The new courthouse's design will be modern and accessible with features such as:

• video conferencing to allow witnesses to appear from remote locations and in-custody individuals to appear from jail;
• closed-circuit television to enable children and other vulnerable individuals to appear before the court from a  private room;
• courtroom video/audio systems to allow counsel to display video evidence recorded in various formats and for the simultaneous viewing of evidence;
• a single point of entry with magnetometers, baggage scanners, continuous video surveillance, and separate corridors for judiciary, members of the public and the accused for security reasons;
• barrier-free access to all courtrooms.
  

The courthouse will be designed to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED^®) Silver standard with a focus on energy efficiency, healthy indoor environments and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Once the planning, design and compliance aspects are completed, the Ministry of the Attorney General and Infrastructure Ontario (IO) will issue a request for qualifications (RFQ) for a team to design, build, finance and maintain the project using IO's proven alternative financing and procurement (AFP) delivery method. Under the AFP model, risks associated with the design, construction, financing and maintenance of complex projects are transferred to the private sector. The RFQ is expected to be issued in spring 2016.

IO and the Ministry of the Attorney General are working together to build the new courthouse, which will be publicly owned, controlled and accountable.

Visit www.infrastructureontario.ca or www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca for more information.

Quotes:

Madeleine Meilleur, Attorney General
"I'm thrilled to see this important project continue to move forward. This milestone brings us one step closer to building a state-of-the-art facility that will mean improved efficiencies, reduced costs and an enhanced ability to deliver justice programs to all Ontarians."  

Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure
"Once completed, the new Toronto courthouse will be a state-of-the-art facility that will enable the province to continue delivering high-quality justice services for generations to come, while creating hundreds of jobs and stimulating our economy during the construction process. Today's announcement signifies that we are one step closer to turning this vision into reality, as we continue investing in important strategic infrastructure across Ontario."

Bert Clark, President and CEO, Infrastructure Ontario
"IO is delighted that the new Toronto courthouse project has reached this important early milestone. With the selection of a PDC team, we are on our way towards choosing the successful building team to deliver the courthouse using IO's proven AFP approach."

Background:

IO is a Crown agency of the Province of Ontario that works to deliver public benefits through partnerships with the private sector. IO delivers large, complex public infrastructure projects using a made-in-Ontario modern procurement and project management practice called Alternative Financing and Procurement (AFP). IO also partners with the private sector to manage one of the largest real estate portfolios in Canada, provides municipalities and eligible public-sector clients with loans to renew public infrastructure, and leverages its private-sector expertise to advise the provincial public-sector clients on commercial transactions.

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SOURCE Infrastructure Ontario

Contacts: Nancy Kuyumcu, Infrastructure Ontario, [phone]; Brendan Crawley, Ministry of the Attorney General, [phone]