Request for Qualifications Issued for New Toronto Courthouse Project

TORONTO, April 18, 2016 /CNW/ - Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and the Ministry of the Attorney General have issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) for a consortium to design, build, finance and maintain a new Toronto courthouse.

Located steps from St. Patrick subway station, directly north of the courthouse at 361 University Avenue, the new courthouse will bring together many of Toronto's Ontario Court of Justice criminal courts operating across the city. Amalgamation of justice programs and services will 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 RFQ is the first step in the process to select a team to deliver the project. Submissions will be reviewed to shortlist project teams with the design and construction experience, as well as the financial capacity to deliver a project of this size and complexity. Shortlisted teams will then be invited to respond to a request for proposals (RFP), expected to be released in the fall.

Quick Facts

• Ontario is making the largest investment in public infrastructure in the province's history — about $160 billion over 12 years for projects such as roads, bridges, transit systems, schools and hospitals. This investment is supporting 110,000 jobs every year across the province. In 2015, the government announced support for more than 325 projects that will keep people and goods moving, connect communities and improve quality of life.
• IO's recent archaeological excavation of the new Toronto courthouse site recovered thousands of artifacts, mainly from the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. 
• The new courthouse will be located at 11 Centre Avenue, bordered by Chestnut and Armoury Streets.
• IO will be installing artwork on construction fencing for the new Toronto courthouse to help commemorate the downtown site's rich cultural history.
• IO is leading the project on behalf of the Ministry of the Attorney General.
• Amalgamating several courts into one state-of-the-art facility reduces the government's overall footprint and helps ensure the province's real estate portfolio is sustainable, accessible and efficient. 
• 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.
• The project is being delivered using IO's Alternative Financing and Procurement model, an innovative way of financing and procuring large, complex public infrastructure projects, with a track record of being 98 per cent on budget to date.

Quotes:

Madeleine Meilleur, Attorney General
"Bringing several court locations together as one will not only reduce costs and increase efficiencies, but will also create and support hundreds of jobs right here in Toronto, both directly and indirectly. Once complete, this facility will enhance our ability to deliver justice services to all residents of Toronto."

Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure
"The new Toronto courthouse project will significantly modernize the city's justice system, while stimulating the local economy. Our government will continue to invest in infrastructure across the province to build Ontario up and increase services to communities."

Bert Clark, President and CEO, Infrastructure Ontario
"This is an exciting first step toward an innovative, modern and accessible new Toronto courthouse. Infrastructure Ontario is proud to play a role in the delivery of this important project."

Learn More

Infrastructure Ontario
Ministry of the Attorney General

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SOURCE Infrastructure Ontario

Media contacts: Nancy Kuyumcu, Infrastructure Ontario, 416-327-5764; Brendan Crawley, Ministry of the Attorney General, [phone]