Request for proposals released for new Toronto courthouse project

The Pillars of Justice stand in a Toronto park not far from the future site of a new courthouse. AECOM has been awarded the planning, design, and compliance contract. An RFP for the AFP project will be issued in the spring.

Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and the Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG) have issued a request for proposals (RFP) to two prequalified teams to design, build, finance and maintain the new Toronto courthouse.

Teams invited to submit proposals were selected based on their design and construction capability, experience, facilities management capacity and the financial capacity to deliver a project of this size and complexity.

The following teams were prequalified and have been invited to submit formal proposals for the new Toronto courthouse project:

EllisDon Infrastructure

• Developer: EllisDon Capital Inc.
• Constructor: EllisDon Design Build Inc.
• Design Team: Renzo Piano Building Workshop and NORR Limited
• Facilities Management: EllisDon Facilities Services Inc. and SNC Lavalin O&M
• Financial Advisor: EllisDon Capital Inc.

Plenary Justice

• Developer: Plenary Group (Canada) Ltd.
• Constructor: PCL Constructors Canada Inc.
• Design Team: WZMH Architects, Perkins Eastman and CGL RicciGreene
• Facilities Management: Johnson Controls Inc.
• Financial Advisor: TD Securities Inc.

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.

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, and increase efficiency.

“Toronto’s new courthouse will improve the experience for all who use the facilities, including those who work there day in and day out, and it will do so while increasing efficiency by bringing multiple services under one roof. Our government is committed to building modern infrastructure that helps Ontario residents in all facets of their lives, and this project is another great example of that,” said Bob Chiarelli, Minister of Infrastructure.

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 witnesses 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

IO and MAG are working together to build the new Toronto Courthouse, which will be publicly owned and controlled.

Quick Facts

• IO is leading the project on behalf of the Ministry of the Attorney General.
• 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.
• Last year, IO led an archaeological excavation of the new Toronto courthouse site that recovered many 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 which 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.
• The new courthouse will be located at 11 Centre Avenue, bordered by Chestnut and Armoury Streets.