PLANNING, DESIGN AND COMPLIANCE TEAM CHOSEN FOR THE WEST DON LANDS
PAN/PARAPAN AMERICAN ATHLETES' VILLAGE PROJECT

TORONTO, Oct. 14 /CNW/ - Planning work for the section of the West Don Lands that will be home to Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games Athletes' Village moves forward with the selection of HOK|Montgomery Sisam|DTAH|Quadrangle Architects|Populous, in collaboration as the planning, design and compliance team. 

The Athletes' Village project increases the pace of the West Don Lands revitalization which is part of the renewal of Toronto's waterfront. The design for the Athletes' Village will be based on Waterfront Toronto's vision for a green, modern and vibrant new community as outlined in the West Don Lands Precinct Plan.  After the Games, the village area will become a predominantly residential neighbourhood that includes affordable housing.

The Athlete's Village project will proceed under Infrastructure Ontario's Alternative Financing and Procurement model whereby risks associated with designing, constructing, and financing the facilities are transferred to the private sector.

The planning, design and compliance team is responsible for developing output specifications and preliminary design documents for the project.  These documents will form the guidelines and performance requirements within which the successful bidder's team must work when preparing the overall design.

The next step in the process will be a request for qualifications to select a short list of teams who will be asked to submit a response to a request for proposals to design, build and finance the West Don Lands Athletes' Village. 

"Building the West Don Lands Athletes' Village project will play a critical role transforming the local economy in the GTA," said the Honourable Bob Chiarelli, Minister of Infrastructure.  "The project will provide a sizeable stimulus to Ontario's economy by directly and indirectly creating and supporting thousands of jobs."

Infrastructure Ontario, Waterfront Toronto and Ontario Realty Corporation are working with Toronto 2015 to develop the section of West Don Lands that will be home to the Athletes' Village.

The Governments of Canada and Ontario and the City of Toronto created Waterfront Toronto to oversee and lead the renewal of Toronto's waterfront. Public accessibility, design excellence, sustainable development, economic development and fiscal sustainability are the key drivers of waterfront revitalization.  For more information visit http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca

Ontario Realty Corporation is leading the environmental work, building the flood protection landform, constructing sub-surface infrastructure and roads, and preparing the land for future redevelopment, working closely with the planning, design and compliance team.  For more information visit www.ontariorealty.ca

Infrastructure Ontario is a Crown corporation dedicated to delivering some of the province's larger and more complex infrastructure renewal projects - ensuring they are built on time and on budget; as well, it is dedicated to providing the public sector and not-for-profit organizations with long-term financing to renew their infrastructure.  For more information visit www.infrastructureontario.ca

For more information about the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games visit www.toronto2015.org

BACKGROUNDER

Toronto 2015 Pan/parapan American Athletes' village In the

West Don Lands

West Don Lands Revitalization
The West Don Lands is one of the first new communities currently being developed by Waterfront Toronto as part of Toronto's waterfront revitalization. 

The 32 hectare (80 acre) area of former industrial lands is being transformed into a sustainable, mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly, riverside community. It will feature 6,000 new residential units, ample space for employment and commercial uses, public transit within a five minute walk of homes and businesses, at least one elementary school and two child-care centres.

Building an Athletes' Village in the West Don Lands
Infrastructure Ontario, Waterfront Toronto and the Ontario Realty Corporation are working with Toronto 2015 to develop the section of West Don Lands that will be home to the Athletes' Village.

Locating the Athletes' Village in the West Don Lands means a significant increase in the pace of transforming the area and will be a unique legacy of the Games.  The Village will be built based on Waterfront Toronto's vision for a green, modern and vibrant new community as outlined in the West Don Lands Precinct Plan.  Waterfront Toronto originally planned to complete the West Don Lands community over 10 to 12 years in three phases, now more than half of the West Don Lands will be complete in time for the Games.

The Village will serve as the home-away-from-home for the 10,000 athletes and officials of the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games:

• 8,000 athletes and officials are expected to participate in the Pan American Games, July 10-26, 2015.
• 2,200 athletes and officials are expected to participate in the Parapan American Games, August 7-14, 2015.

Following the Games, the Athletes' Village will be converted into a range of housing options.

Achieving Sustainability and Design Excellence
The Athletes' Village section of the West Don lands must meet Waterfront Toronto's comprehensive mandatory green building requirements that ensure that all new buildings within the waterfront are efficient in their use of resources and take advantage of new approaches and technologies to deliver a positive impact on the surrounding air, land and water. The requirements include that all buildings achieve a minimum LEED Gold certification and incorporate green roof technology.

LEED buildings focus on healthy indoor environments, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and efficient use of energy, water and other resources.

Waterfront Toronto formed a design review panel, the first in Toronto, to help ensure that waterfront revitalization projects set new standards for design excellence. The Panel is an independent, advisory body to guide and inform the revitalization of the Toronto waterfront.

Preparing for the Redevelopment Project
Remediation and site preparation work is well underway in the West Don Lands, both in the area that will be home to the Athletes' Village and the area surrounding it.  Design, construction and planning approvals are also already well underway, which will allow the development of the Village to be completed in time for the Games.

Ontario Realty Corporation is continuing to construct a Flood Protection Landform, build sub-surface infrastructure and roads, and prepare the land for future development.  The Flood Protection Landform is 90 per cent complete.  Construction of the Bayview Avenue re-alignment has begun and the River Street extension is underway.  Once Bayview Avenue is completed, Ontario Realty Corporation will demolish the existing connecting road at the King/Queen triangle and extend the Flood Protection Landform through that area.

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For further information:

Jennifer Sclisizzi Infrastructure Ontario 416-325-7409

Tari Stork     Waterfront Toronto     416-214-1344

Laura Toogood     Ontario Realty Corporation     416-326-9122