Humber College Learning Resource Commons reaches new heights

TORONTO, April 4, 2014 /CNW/ - Humber College and PCL officials joined community leaders and postsecondary education partners to celebrate the completion of the concrete structure of the new Learning Resource Commons.

With construction approximately 40 per cent complete, today's 'topping off' celebration signifies that the highest point of the building has now been reached. 

PCL Constructors Canada Inc. started construction in June 2013 and is on track to achieve substantial completion in spring 2015.

There are approximately 100 workers on site daily, a number that is expected to rise to 150 workers as more interior work takes place, including placement of masonry walls, mechanical piping and duct work. Up to 60 per cent of skilled trades workers are from the local community.

Located at Humber's North Campus in Etobicoke, the new Learning Resource Commons is a six-storey, 260,000-square-foot academic support and student services facility that will become the new main entrance to the campus. Highlights of the facility include:

• space for more than 2,200 students
• group and independent study spaces
• a new library, including a centralized hub for student services
• a student gallery and showcase space
• space for the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences and college administration

The project will uphold high design and sustainability standards and is being built to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED^®) Silver certification.

Infrastructure Ontario is a Crown agency of the Province of Ontario that delivers large, complex infrastructure renewal projects on time and on budget. Over the last six years, the province has applied Infrastructure Ontario's alternative financing and procurement model to 83 major projects valued at approximately $38 billion, saving taxpayers an estimated $3 billion. Infrastructure Ontario also manages one of the largest real estate portfolios in Canada, provides municipalities and eligible public sector clients with financing to renew public infrastructure and leverages its private-sector expertise to manage major commercial transactions on behalf of the province.

Visit www.infrastructureontario.ca or www.humber.ca for more information.

Quotes:

Brad Duguid, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities
"Giving Ontario students the space and resources to make their education more innovative and accessible is a part of the Ontario government's plan to strengthen the economy and build the best educated workforce in the world. Our continued investment in college campuses demonstrates our ongoing commitment to Ontario's world-class postsecondary education system"

Dr. Shafiq Qaadri, MPP, Etobicoke North
"This new facility is going to make a significant contribution to student life on campus. I am thrilled to see the project reach this milestone and take another step toward completion."

Chris Whitaker, President, Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning
"The Humber community is watching the Learning Resource Commons' construction with great delight and anticipation of what will be the new front door to the North Campus. While it will be exciting to see the interior take shape, I'll miss watching the cranes in action."    

Jim Dougan, President, PCL Constructors Canada Inc., Eastern Canada
"The new Learning Resource Commons joins a legacy of education projects PCL is proud to build in communities where our employees live and work, and we look forward to continued success in fulfilling Humber College's vision for the project on the final stages of construction."

Disponible en français

SOURCE: Infrastructure Ontario

Mandy Downes, Infrastructure Ontario, [phone]; Andrew Leopold, Humber College, [phone] ext. 4296