REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS ISSUED FOR PAN AMERICAN AQUATICS CENTRE, FIELD
HOUSE AND CANADIAN SPORT INSTITUTE ONTARIO PROJECT

TORONTO, Dec. 20 /CNW/ - Infrastructure Ontario today released a request for qualifications (RFQ) for companies to submit their qualifications to design, build and finance the Pan American Aquatics Centre (PAAC), Field House and Canadian Sport Institute Ontario (CSIO) project.

The centre is a high-performance aquatics and athletics facility that will be constructed on the University of Toronto Scarborough campus for the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games.

Following the games, the facility will be jointly owned by the City of Toronto and the University of Toronto and will function as a centre for high performance and university sports, while providing much-needed community recreation space.

The Aquatics Centre 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.

RFQ submissions will be reviewed to pre-qualify project teams with the design and construction experience, the qualified personnel and the financial capacity to deliver a project of this size and complexity.

Pre-qualified teams will be invited to respond to a request for proposals (RFP) for the Aquatics Centre project, which will be issued in spring 2011.

Infrastructure Ontario and Toronto 2015 are working with municipalities in the Greater Toronto-Hamilton Area and Golden Horseshoe, universities, and provincial agencies to procure and deliver the Athletes' Village and games venues, such as the Aquatics Centre facility.

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 - and to providing the public sector and not-for-profit organizations with long-term financing to renew their infrastructure.

The Pan American Games is one of the world's largest international multi-sport events, held every four years for athletes of the 42 member nations of the Pan American Sport Organization (PASO). The Games comprise a mix of Summer Olympic Games sports, as well as traditional Pan American sports. The Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games will draw 10,000 athletes and officials and feature 48 sports in 17 municipalities across the Golden Horseshoe. The Toronto 2015 Pan American Games will take place July 10-26, 2015 and the Parapan Games August 7-14, 2015.

Visit www.infrastructureontario.ca or www.toronto2015.org for more information.

Quotes:

Honourable Bob Chiarelli, Minister of Infrastructure

"The 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games will see the development of new and revitalized athletic and recreational facilities across the Greater Toronto Area. These facilities will serve as a valuable legacy of the Games for Ontario's amateur and recreational athletes."

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Backgrounder

PAN AMERICAN AQUATICS CENTRE, FIELD HOUSE AND CANADIAN SPORT INSTITUTE ONTARIO PROJECT

The Pan American Aquatics Centre (PAAC), Field House and Canadian Sport Institute Ontario (CSIO) is a high-performance aquatics and athletics facility that will be constructed on the University of Toronto Scarborough campus for the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games.

The 34,000 square metre facility will host swimming, synchronized swimming, diving, fencing and the swimming and fencing disciplines of the modern pentathlon program during the Pan American Games, as well as swimming and volleyball during the Parapan American Games.

The Aquatics Centre will feature two 10-lane, 50-metre pools and a 5.5-metre diving tank, and have a seating capacity of approximately 8,000.

The Field House, which will have a maximum seating capacity of 3,000, will house a 200-metre indoor track, fitness facilities and approximately 1,800 square metres of flexible gymnasium space for training and competition.

The Canadian Sport Institute Ontario will be housed at the complex and will serve as a national high performance centre providing sport science, sport medicine, coaching and training facilities.

Achieving Sustainability and Design Excellence

The design and construction of the Aquatics Centre will adhere to the guidelines and sustainability principles of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, with the goal of achieving LEED Silver standard for the facility, as well as complying with the City of Toronto's Toronto Green Standard (TGS). LEED buildings focus on healthy indoor environments, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and efficient use of energy, water and other resources.

2015 Pan/Parapan American Games

The Pan American Games is one of the world's largest international multi-sport events, held every four years for athletes of the 42 member nations of the Pan American Sport Organization (PASO). The games comprise a mix of Summer Olympic Games sports, as well as traditional Pan American sports. The Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games will draw 10,000 athletes and officials and feature 48 sports in 17 municipalities across the Golden Horseshoe. The Toronto 2015 Pan American Games will take place July 10-26, 2015, and the Parapan American Games will be held August 7-14, 2015.

For further information:

Tom Boreskie Infrastructure Ontario    [phone]

Elissa Freeman Toronto 2015 [phone]