TO2015 Officially Breaks Ground on First—and Largest—Brand New Sport Facility for Games

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Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games

Sep 27, 2012, 15:55 ET

Aquatics Centre and Field House in Scarborough is the largest sport infrastructure investment ever in Canadian amateur sport

TORONTO, Sept. 27, 2012 /CNW/ - Funding partners for the TORONTO 2015 Pan American/Parapan American Games officially broke ground today for the Pan Am and Parapan Am Aquatics Centre and Field House. The Government of Canada, Province of Ontario, City of Toronto and the University of Toronto Scarborough joined together with the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee (TO2015) to mark this milestone for the largest sport new-build for the Games and the largest investment ever in Canadian amateur sport history.

The university community, local residents, neighbourhood school children, Canadian high-performance athletes and Lead Partner for the Games, CIBC, celebrated with a formal program followed by a community fair next to the site, featuring displays, music, information booths and games.

Located at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) campus, the state-of-the-art multipurpose athletic centre will host swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, fencing and portions of modern pentathlon for the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games. Parapan Am sports will be announced in the coming days. During Games time, the Pan Am and Parapan Am Aquatics Centre and Field House will be presented by CIBC whose name will title the facility that summer. Following the summer of 2015, the facility, owned by the University of Toronto and the City of Toronto, will take on a permanent new life serving university students and local residents.

"It's an exciting day for us, our partners and everyone here in Scarborough to break ground on this amazing centre," said Ian Troop, Chief Executive Officer, TO2015."Not only does this site represent the largest infrastructure investment ever made in Canadian amateur sport, it will also be a wonderful place where generations of students and local families can gather together as a community and access top-notch athletic facilities as a living legacy of the 'People's Games.'"

The Aquatics Centre and Field House will create 150 construction jobs and is the first of five brand new athletic facilities being built in the region to host the TORONTO 2015 Games. As well, a number of existing facilities will be upgraded across the Greater Golden Horseshoe to support the Games.

An important legacy of the Games is that all facilities being built will be universally accessible. As such, the Aquatics Centre and Field House represents this vision of inclusivity in every aspect of its design and function. A range of users, including university students, members of the community and high-performance athletes, will enjoy training and using this recreation space, which includes:

An aquatics centre featuring two internationally sanctioned 10-lane, 50-metre pools (including bulkheads); a 5-metre deep diving tank with 3-metre, 5-metre, 7.5-metre and 10-metre platforms; dry-land diver training facilities; and a Games-time seating capacity of approximately 6,000. This centre will double the number of Olympic-sized pools in the Greater Toronto Area. Moreover, with its other features, it will be the sole aquatics facility in the region that meets the latest international competition standards and will be the first facility with the required warm-up pool.
A field house featuring flexible gymnasium space for training and competition with a Games-time seating capacity of approximately 2,000. The field house will also include an indoor recreational track and fitness area with cardio and weightlifting facilities.

"UTSC is proud to be the home of this exciting new facility, and we're especially proud that the commitment of our students is helping to make this possible," said Franco J. Vaccarino, Principal. "When the Games are over, this world-class complex will create a powerful legacy of inspiration, recreation, education and transformation for the UTSC community and for the entire region."

The Canadian Sport Institute of Ontario (CSIO) will also relocate its head office to the centre, providing world-leading sport science and sport performance services including coaching and training facilities. Formerly the Canadian Sports Centre Ontario, the CSIO is one of seven sport institutes across the country dedicated to enhancing the daily training environment of Canada's high-performance athletes and coaches.

"From biomechanics to nutrition to coaching, CSIO people and programs will bring this facility to life," said Debbie Low, Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Sport Institute Ontario. The Pan Am and Parapan Am Aquatics Centre and Field House will be a tremendous resource for Ontario's high-performance athletes and coaches, and will enhance and accelerate our work of taking these athletes along a pathway that leads to podiums."

The overall project costs for this facility are anticipated to come in at $205 million, well below the estimated budget of $249 million. Of the $205 million, $158 million is the amount to design, build and finance the project. The model used for this contract transfers risks onto the developer and guarantees a fixed price and a fixed time delivery of the project. The remainder is comprised of capital expenditures on sports and facilities infrastructure and project management. These costs were driven down through a rigorous tendering process led by Infrastructure Ontario.

In July, PCL Aquatics Centre 2012 won the bid to handle the design, building and financing of the centre. The consortia, which consists of PCL Constructors Canada and NORR Ltd./Counsilman-Hunsaker, was awarded the contract through a public tendering process led by Infrastructure Ontario. This contract is part of the overall project costs.

Construction of the complex will be completed during summer 2014.

"Our Government is a proud supporter of the Toronto 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games and has committed funding of up to $500 million to help support sport infrastructure requirements, legacy initiatives, and the cost of essential federal services associated with staging the Games," said the Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport). "As part of this commitment, the Government of Canada is very pleased to announce funding for the Pan Am and Parapan Am Aquatics Centre and Field House and the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario, which will be home to aquatic and fencing events during the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games."

"The McGuinty government is proud of bringing the 2015 Pan and Parapan Am Games to Ontario. The Aquatics Centre and Field House will be the largest new venue for the 'People's Games' and it will be an important community facility for residents and athletes alike," said Charles Sousa, Ontario Minister responsible for the Pan and Parapan American Games. "This is a great example of how the Games are creating economic benefit today and a legacy of community and sport infrastructure for future generations."

"As Host City for the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games, we look forward to welcoming athletes from across the Americas to this new state-of the-art aquatic centre and field house," said Toronto Mayor, Rob Ford. "This world-class facility will spur economic benefits and leave a lasting legacy of healthy living and recreational opportunities for Toronto residents long after the Games have ended."

"CIBC is proud to support the Pan Am and Parapan Am Aquatics Centre and Field House presented by CIBC, which will not only be a world-class training and competition venue, but will serve as a lasting legacy for the whole community to use and enjoy," said Richard Nesbitt, Group Head, Wholesale, International and Technology and Operations, CIBC. "As the Lead Partner of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games, CIBC's vision for TORONTO 2015 is to help inspire a generation of young people and contribute to stronger communities. This facility will give our youth a place where they can train, play, gather and compete."

Last spring, TO2015 announced the cluster and sport program for the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games. At that time, it also announced details of the budget for both Games. TO2015 will issue quarterly budget updates starting this fall.

About the TORONTO 2015 Pan American/Parapan American Games
The Pan American and Parapan American Games are one of the world's largest international multi-sport events, held every four years for athletes of the 41 member nations of the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) and 26 member nations of the Americas Paralympic Committee (APC). The Pan American Games are comprised of all Olympic Summer Games sports, as well as traditional Pan American sports, while the Parapan American Games are comprised of the majority of Paralympic Summer Games sports. The TORONTO 2015 Pan American/Parapan American Games will draw more than 10,000 athletes, coaches and team officials and feature 51 sports in municipalities across the Greater Golden Horseshoe area. The TORONTO 2015 Pan American Games will take place July 10−26 and the Parapan American Games August 7-14. For more information about the Games, please visit TORONTO2015.org.

Image with caption: "Pan Am and Parapan Am Aquatics Centre and Field House (CNW Group/Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120927_C2225_PHOTO_EN_18567.jpg

SOURCE: Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games