Ontario Construction News staff writer
Ontario has awarded a $198 million contract to design and build a provincially owned parking garage at Ontario Place. The tourism ministry and Infrastructure Ontario said they awarded the construction lead contract to Montreal headquartered Pomerleau Inc., with Amsterdam-based Arcadis Professional Services (Canada) Inc. as design lead.
Pomerleau is construction lead for projects including the new City of Toronto Paramedic Services Multi-Function Station, and the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority redevelopment in Moosonee and Moose Factory Island.
The parking garage will include an above-ground, five-storey structure for up to 3,500 vehicles, approximately 680 electric vehicle charging stations, up to 100 bicycle parking spaces and a bus pick-up and drop-off area.
Amid questions about the aesthetics of an open-air garage on the prime lakefront Ontario Place site, the province in a statement said the landscape design “transitions the building seamlessly to the surrounding park.”
The garage is part of the government’s vision for redevelopment of Ontario Place, a public space founded in 1971 on the shores of Lake Ontario adjacent to downtown Toronto.
The process has seen the removal of 865 mature trees at the western island portion of the property to prepare the land for a revamped Live Nation music venue and a stadium-sized private indoor spa and waterpark to be developed by Austrian company the Therme Group.
Ontario’s Ford government says once the redevelopment is complete in 2029 Ontario Place will feature more than 50 acres of free public trails, expanded green space, playgrounds, interactive fountains, new beaches, event spaces and a modernized marina. Construction is also underway on the new Ontario Science Centre at Ontario Place.
In announcing the garage contract Stan Cho, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, said the parking structure to be built at the existing parking lot site just south of Lake Shore Blvd. West will generate up to $60 million in gross revenue annually for the province once Ontario Place reaches full operation.
“Today’s contract award reaffirms our government’s position that this parking garage can and will be built at a cost that is reasonable and respectful to taxpayers.” He also said the contract award followed an “open, fair and competitive procurement process.”
Ontario Auditor General Shelley Spence in a 2024 report said the province has been obliged to provide a parking garage to fulfill lease obligations to Ontario Place tenants Therme and Live Nation. The report also said costs of the Ontario Place project had ballooned and the process for selecting new tenants for the site wasn’t transparent or fair.
“We found a vice president at Infrastructure Ontario, responsible for conducting the financial assessments, communicated directly with Therme Canada and other participants during the CFD (call for development process) open period,” the AG said. She said the bidding process for Ontario Place fell short of “typical procurement law or directives” for the province.
Therme Group in a statement at the time said it “fully complied with its requirements at every stage in our submission and negotiations.”
