Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and the Ministry of the Attorney General have issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) for a consortium to design, build, finance and maintain a new Toronto courthouse.The new courthouse will bring together many of Toronto’s Ontario Court of Justice criminal courts operating across the city.  

The RFQ is the first step in the process to select a team to deliver the project. Submissions will be reviewed to shortlist project teams with the design and construction experience, as well as the financial capacity to deliver a project of this size and complexity. Shortlisted teams will then be invited to respond to a request for proposals (RFP), expected to be released in the fall.

The deadline for submission of qualification proposals is 17 June 2016 and the deadline for submission of questions to Infrastructure Ontario is 3 June 2016.

 AECOM Canada Ltd. has been selected as the planning, design and compliance (PDC) team.

Madeleine Meilleur, Attorney General, said:

“Bringing several court locations together as one will not only reduce costs and increase efficiencies, but will also create and support hundreds of jobs right here in Toronto, both directly and indirectly. Once complete, this facility will enhance our ability to deliver justice services to all residents of Toronto.”

Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure, said:

“The new Toronto courthouse project will significantly modernize the city’s justice system, while stimulating the local economy. Our government will continue to invest in infrastructure across the province to build Ontario up and increase services to communities.”

Bert Clark, President and CEO, Infrastructure Ontario, said:

“This is an exciting first step toward an innovative, modern and accessible new Toronto courthouse. Infrastructure Ontario is proud to play a role in the delivery of this important project.”

The Toronto 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 jail;
• Closed-circuit television to enable children and other vulnerable individuals 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 to all courtrooms.

Get access to the RFQ document through this link.