BELLEVILLE - Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of the Attorney General today announced Brookfield Partnerships Quinte is the preferred proponent selected to design, build, finance and maintain a new consolidated courthouse in Belleville.
The new facility, to be located at Coleman and Bridge Streets, will improve access to courthouse services by consolidating the Superior Court of Justice and Ontario Court of Justice, which are currently operating in four court locations, three in Belleville and one in Trenton. Construction is expected to begin in early summer 2011.
The new courthouse will improve access to justice for the County of Hastings by increasing the number of available courtrooms, providing better security and improving access for people with disabilities.
The construction project will stimulate the local and regional economies by supporting and creating jobs.
The selection of Brookfield Partnerships Quinte is the result of extensive evaluations that followed a request for proposals process that began in May 2010. The Brookfield Partnerships Quinte consortium represents a joint venture between Brookfield Financial Corp. and Morguard Corporation, with PCL Constructors Canada providing construction services. The facility was designed by WZMH Architects, with Morguard also providing facilities management. Brookfield Financial Corp. also acted as the financial advisor to Brookfield Partnerships Quinte.
The Quinte Consolidated Courthouse will be designed and built to meet the Canada Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Silver standards, incorporating environmentally sustainable construction practices and energy efficient design.
Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of the Attorney General continue to finalize contract details and expect to conclude negotiations with Brookfield Partnerships Quinte in the next several months. Project costs will be announced publicly following financial close, when all relevant contracts have been signed, a financing rate set and the project's cost finalized.
Infrastructure Ontario is working with the Ministry of the Attorney General to develop the new courthouse. Infrastructure Ontario is a Crown corporation dedicated to managing some of the province's larger and more complex infrastructure renewal projects - ensuring they are built on time and on budget. As well, it is dedicated to providing the public sector and not-for-profit organizations with long-term financing to renew their infrastructure.
Visit www.infrastructureontario.ca for more information.
Quotes:
Honourable Bob Chiarelli, Minister of Infrastructure
“Our government is dedicated to building safe, strong communities and investing in this modern facility is part of that commitment.”
Honourable Chris Bentley, Attorney General
“The County of Hastings will soon have access to a first class facility that will ensure the delivery of modern, efficient justice services to the region for years to come.”
Leona Dombrowsky, MPP for Prince-Edward Hastings
“This is a significant step toward making the Quinte Consolidated Courthouse a reality. This state-of-the-art facility will ensure that our region has the resources it needs to manage caseload growth into the future.”
Contacts:
Lyndsie York
Infrastructure Ontario
416-326-9368
Brendan Crawley
Ministry of the Attorney General
416-326-2210