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Late last week, Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson, Chair of the Economic and Community Development Committee and Councillor Jennifer McKelvie, Chair of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee, broke ground for the new Northeast Scarborough Community Recreation and Child Care Centre. Located south of the Rouge National Urban Park and Toronto Zoo at 8450 Sheppard Avenue East, the new facility will be the City of Toronto’s first net-zero-energy-and-emissions community recreation facility, as well as the City’s second net zero child care centre.
“The new Northeast Community and Child Care Centre is a City of Toronto facility of the future," said Mayor John Tory via a press release, currently isolating after testing positive for COVID-19. "This centre will help us meet Toronto’s goal of becoming a net zero city while providing more child care opportunities for families in Scarborough. We are proud to deliver a state of the art community centre and gathering place that specifically meets the needs of the very diverse neighbourhoods that surround it.”
Designed by Perkins&Will, the facility employs innovative strategies that aim to eliminate the use of fossil fuels, reduce overall energy consumption, and incorporate on-site renewable energy systems. Upon completion the facility will be completely powered by electricity, using a mix of solar photovoltaic panels on its roof and facade, as well as a parking lot canopy. Air handling units will also improve heat recovery efficiency by a total of 85%.
An important component of the Centre’s vision is its outdoor green design by PMA Landscape Architects. The building will feature a biodiverse green roof terrace, and the nearby Joyce Trimmer Park will be revitalized with new landscaping and park amenities including a new skateboard park, mini soccer field, basketball court, playground, splash pad, ample outdoor seating, and a gathering area, as well as new public artworks.
Looking inside, the community centre amenities will include a 25-lane swimming pool and leisure pool, a gymnasium large enough to accommodate an indoor cricket pitch, a teaching kitchen, and a dance and fitness studio.
“From its green roof and landscaping to its pools and indoor cricket pitch, the facilities of this Centre have been thoughtfully designed through intensive public input from one of Toronto’s most diverse communities,” said Thompson.
The child care centre will have 62 spaces available for children ranging in age from infants up to preschool age.
The centre is aiming to become the first building of its kind in Ontario to achieve the Canadian Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Building Certification. “I look forward to welcoming the city’s first net zero greenhouse gas emission community centre," said McKelvie. "It will bring long-awaited recreational programming and child care to our community, while also helping the City reach its target of being net zero by 2040.”
Construction on the Centre is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2024. Joyce Trimmer Park will be temporarily closed to the public during construction.
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| Related Companies: | CFMS Consulting Inc., RJC Engineers |
