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Details are emerging of a new provincial courthouse proposed on the site of a former surface parking lot to the northwest of Toronto City Hall. The rezoning application submitted to the City earlier this Fall calls for a new high-rise courthouse that would reach a maximum height of 135 metres/483 feet on the west side and 95 metres/311 feet on the east side of a site which includes 11 through 33 Centre Avenue, and 80 through 94 Chestnut Street. In comparison, across the street, the 20-storey West Tower of Toronto City Hall is 80 metres tall, and Toronto's City Planning Department will want to make sure that this tower will not be seen rising behind City Hall from most points in Nathan Phillips Square to maintain the purity of existing views. An archaeological dig has been under way at the courthouse site for several months now.
The courthouse is being built to bring together in a single location many courts operating across Toronto, mostly in leased buildings, some of which have been described a substandard and unworthy of this city. Amalgamation of these locations will allow the Ontario Court of Justice to reduce costs, improve efficiencies, and better serve the residents of Toronto by bringing together justice programs and services in a single location. These include drug treatment, aboriginal, youth and mental health courts, and support for victims.
Today Infrastructure Ontario (IO) announced that AECOM Canada Ltd. has been selected as the planning, design and compliance (PDC) team, a role which will involve preparing documents to form the template the winning building team must meet during the design stages. Bert Clark, President and CEO of Infrastructure Ontario related a statement declaring "IO is delighted that the new Toronto courthouse project has reached this important early milestone. With the selection of a PDC team, we are on our way towards choosing the successful building team to deliver the courthouse using IO's proven AFP approach."
UrbanToronto inquired about the names of other bidders for the project and other companies associated with the winning PDC bidder, but IO's procurement policy prevents the agency from sharing that information.
The project's next big step will be a RFQ (request for qualifications) for a team to Design, Build, Finance and Maintain the project under Infrastructure Ontario's Alternative Financing and Procurement (AFP) delivery method. The RFQ is due in Spring 2016. In the meantime, along with the Toronto Planning Department's review of the maximum envelop rezoning application, Urban Design Guidelines are being prepared for the courthouse by the department and Design Review Panel.
Requirement for the facility are that it be fully accessible and that it will include:
- a secure single-entry point
- video conferencing technology to allow witnesses and persons in-custody to appear in court remotely
- a closed-circuit television system
- reduced greenhouse gas emissions
- designed to meet LEED Silver standards.
Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure, stated "Once completed, the new Toronto courthouse will be a state-of-the-art facility that will enable the province to continue delivering high-quality justice services for generations to come, while creating hundreds of jobs and stimulating our economy during the construction process. Today's announcement signifies that we are one step closer to turning this vision into reality, as we continue investing in important strategic infrastructure across Ontario."
A video highlighting the proposal is expected to be released in mid-January, which should reveal a concept plan for the development. Construction of the project is tentatively scheduled to begin during the Fall of 2017, though IO is refraining from committing to a specific timeline until a construction company is selected and that company's schedule is approved.
We will continue to follow this project, and will be sure to return for updates as new details continue to emerge. Want to talk about it? You can get in on the conversation in UrbanToronto's dedicated Forum thread here, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
