George Brown College ready to break ground for new waterfront campus

    
    Selection of EllisDon Corporation as construction management partner sets
    final piece of development team in place
    

TORONTO , Sept. 16 /CNW/ - With today's announcement of EllisDon Corporation as the construction management partner for its new campus in the heart of Toronto's waterfront redevelopment, George Brown College is now fully supported in its effort to build a dynamic new home overlooking Lake Ontario. All the elements are now in place to aggressively move forward with excavation of the site, slated to begin in late October.

EllisDon, a Canadian-owned construction engineering and project management firm, joins the wider team of architects and designers that will support the expansion of the college as it enters one of the most dynamic periods of expansion in its history.

The groundbreaking is just one in a series of key milestones in the campus development over the next 60 days. The college and its architectural joint venture partner Stantec Architecture/KPMB kicked off the process by presenting their preliminary design concepts to the Waterfront Toronto Design Review Panel this morning. They will also be engaging in a series of stakeholder meetings over the coming months and will be seeking Toronto City Council approval of the project in October.

"With the project, design and construction teams now in place, George Brown College's new campus is on an accelerated path to completion," said Anne Sado, president of George Brown College. "We are a matter of weeks away from beginning construction of a state-of-the-art facility that will help students study in one of the city's most beautiful, modern and relevant learning environments."

Designed to house George Brown's burgeoning Centre for Health Sciences, the waterfront campus will be among the first in Canada to be purpose-built for interprofessional health care learning, a cross disciplinary approach to education in the health sciences that mirrors the current transformation of health care delivery in the province. The expansion will add 3,500 student spaces and free up room across the college's existing campuses to allow for greater capacity in other high-growth programs, such as Construction and Apprenticeship. Phase one of this two-phase project will ultimately add 300,000 square feet to the college, with a full complement of student services. The facility will also spur an environmental transformation of the area, bringing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards to a currently undeveloped site.

"We are so pleased to be involved in the revitalization of Toronto's Waterfront and particularly to be partnering with George Brown College, an institution that is imbedded in the social, cultural and economic development of the city, in building a whole new community dynamic along the eastern bay-front," said Bruno Antidormi, Senior Vice President, Area Manager, EllisDon. "As a long-time employer of George Brown College graduates, it is especially gratifying to be leveraging its intellectual and skilled capital for the long-term good of the College and community."

The campus will also play a pivotal role in the revitalization of Toronto's Waterfront neighbourhood, providing the new East Bayfront community with a new public landmark and year-round student life. Phase one of the project, the Health Sciences building, will cost approximately $175 million to build. The Province of Ontario has invested $61.5 million and the Government of Canada , through its Knowledge Infrastructure Program, has donated $30 million . Waterfront Toronto is also a partner in the development.

The new George Brown College campus will sit lakeside on two blocks of land just south of its St. James campus, on Queen's Quay between Lower Sherbourne and Lower Jarvis Streets . It will face the new Sherbourne Park at the foot of Sherbourne Street to the East and the new Corus Entertainment building near Jarvis Street to the West.

About George Brown College

Toronto's George Brown College has established a reputation for equipping students with the skills, industry experience and credentials to pursue the careers of their choice, with nine out of 10 graduates getting jobs within six months of graduation. From its two main campuses located across the downtown core, George Brown offers nearly 160 programs across a wide variety of professions. Students can earn diplomas, post-graduate certificates, industry accreditations, apprenticeships and four-year bachelor degrees. More than 22,000 students attend the College (full-time equivalent) with about 68,000 registered with the George Brown College School of Continuing Education. For more information, please visit www.georgebrown.ca.

About EllisDon

EllisDon is a leading employee-owned global company delivering construction expertise, services and specialized support to clients throughout the world. Completing in excess of $2 billion in new construction annually, EllisDon has distinguished itself through its people and its innovative practices and has a presence in Canada and the United States , as well as offices in the West Indies and the United Arab Emirates . For more information, please visit www.ellisdon.com.

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For further information: Shannon Morton, APEX Public Relations, [phone] x253, [email protected]