Teams prequalified for new Toronto courthouse project

TORONTO, Oct. 4, 2016 /CNW/ - Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and the Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG) have announced two prequalified teams to design, build, finance and maintain a new Toronto courthouse.

The teams were selected based on criteria identified in the request for qualifications (RFQ) process that began in April 2016. Selection criteria included design and construction capability, experience, and the financial capacity to deliver a project of this size and complexity.

The following teams are prequalified for the new Toronto courthouse project:

Plenary Justice:

• Architects : WZMH Architects, Perkins Eastman, and CGL Ricci Greene
• Constructor: PCL Constructors Canada Inc.
• Facilities management: Johnson Controls Inc.
• Financial Advisor: TD Securities Inc.

Ellis Don Infrastructure:

• Architects: NORR Ltd, and Renzo Piano Building Workshop
• Constructor: Ellis Don Design build Inc.
• Facilities management: Ellis Don Facilities Service Inc., and SNC Lavalin
• Financial Advisor: Ellis Don Capital Inc.

The two teams will be invited to prepare proposals that will detail how they will design, build, finance and maintain the new courthouse. Once submissions are received, IO and MAG will evaluate the proposals, select a preferred bidder and then negotiate a final contract. A fairness monitor will oversee the entire process and the successful bidder is expected to be announced in fall 2017.

The new courthouse, located steps from St. Patrick subway station, directly north of the courthouse at 361 University Avenue, will bring together most 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 detention facilities
• 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

Quick Facts

• IO is leading the project on behalf of the Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG).
• 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.
• The new courthouse will be located at 11 Centre Avenue, bordered by Chestnut and Armoury Streets.
• Last year, IO led an archaeological excavation of the new Toronto courthouse site that recovered thousands of artifacts, mainly from the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries.
• In early 2016, IO and MAG convened a Heritage Interpretation Working Group to provide an open forum to seek consultation and advice that will inform the Heritage Interpretation Plan for the new Toronto courthouse.
• As a first step for heritage interpretation, IO will be installing artwork on construction fencing for the new Toronto courthouse to help commemorate the downtown site's rich cultural history.
• 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.
• Ontario is making the largest investment in public infrastructure in the province's history - about $160 billion over 12 years, which is supporting 110,000 jobs every year across the province, with projects such as roads, bridges, transit systems, schools and hospitals. In 2015, the province announced support for more than 475 projects that are helping to keep people and goods moving, connect communities and improve quality of life. To learn more about infrastructure projects in your community, go to Ontario.ca/BuildON.

Quotes:

"The investments we make in key infrastructure projects have ongoing economic benefits to the province, and help to provide Ontarians with sustainable, accessible and efficient infrastructure. The new Toronto courthouse will improve accessibility to provincial courts, while making court administration more efficient."
Bob Chiarelli, Minister of Infrastructure

"Infrastructure Ontario has a proven track record with building innovative, exceptional court facilities across the province. The new Toronto courthouse will further demonstrate our commitment to delivering high quality infrastructure projects, safely and effectively."
Bert Clark, President and CEO, Infrastructure Ontario

Learn More

Infrastructure Ontario
Ministry of the Attorney General

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SOURCE Infrastructure Ontario

Media contacts: Cary Mignault, Infrastructure Ontario, 416-325-2888; Brendan Crawley, Ministry of the Attorney General, 416-326-2210