EllisDon has signed a $54 million contract to build and finance Public Health Ontario’s new Toronto laboratory at MaRS Centre Phase 2.
The new laboratory will provide more flexible space to meet current and emerging clinical and public health needs and will be able to adapt to new functions and testing technologies. The laboratory will be located within the top four floors of the new MaRS Centre tower in the heart of Toronto’s Discovery District replacing an existing facility in the west end of Toronto. ‘
Public Health Ontario’s Toronto laboratory is the largest in its provincial network. The facility will be designed, constructed, commissioned, and certified to meet the standards and guidelines established by the Public Agency of Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, as well as Ontario Laboratory Accreditation standards.
The beginning of construction will mark a milestone in Ontario’s ongoing renewal of the public health laboratory system, a key recommendation of the post-SARS expert panels, increasing Ontario’s scientific and technical expertise. The new facility will enable Public Health Ontario to remain at the forefront of infectious disease testing, detection and control, providing essential services to Ontarians and the health care system and responding to emerging public health threats.
EllisDon’s $54 million contract with Infrastructure Ontario sets the construction phase in motion this summer, with occupancy expected in late 2014. The selection of EllisDon is the result of procurement process that began in October 2012. The team includes financing provided by the Bank of Nova Scotia.
The project is proceeding under Infrastructure Ontario’s alternative financing and procurement delivery model – a public-private partnership model that transfers risks to the private sector and ensures projects are delivered on time and on budget.
Infrastructure Ontario will post a copy of the Value for Money (VFM) report and the project agreement online at www.infrastructureontario.ca.
