News release announcing contract didn’t say whether garage will be adorned with massive digital billboard
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared on The Trillium, a Village Media website devoted exclusively to covering provincial politics at Queen’s Park. The Ford government has awarded a $198-million contract to a Canadian construction company to design and build the 3,500-spot parking garage at Ontario Place.
Ontario’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming announced the contract in a news release on Thursday. A quote in the release attributed to Tourism Minister Stan Cho celebrated it as a win for taxpayers, saying the parking facility “will produce revenue for the province can and will be built at a cost that is reasonable and respectful to taxpayers. ” Premier Doug Ford had said about a year ago that it could cost $400 million.
Two years ago, Infrastructure Ontario estimated the parking facility it is contractually obligated to build as part of its agreement with spa and waterpark-builder Therme could cost between $280 million and $1.3 billion. Its higher-end estimates were for an underground parking garage, which the Ford government originally favoured before pivoting to its plan for an aboveground five-storey garage on an existing parking lot. Pomerleau Inc. is the company awarded the contract.
It’s partnering with Arcadis Professional Services Inc., which is leading the design work, according to the provincial government. The Tourism Ministry’s news release said it will include parking spots for up to 3,500 vehicles, feature 680 electric vehicle charging stations, 100 spots for bikes, a bus pick-up and drop-off area and “a landscape design that transitions the building seamlessly to the surrounding park.
” The ministry’s news release did not say whether the parking garage will be adorned with a massive digital billboard, which was mentioned in documents made available to groups interested in the project as part of its “optional scope. ” “We are looking at features to add a video wall on parking garage,” Cho said on May 1, after The Trillium first reported on the documents.
“It could be a revenue-generating tool. It could be advertising what concerts are going to be playing at the RBC stage. It could be talking about what exhibits are on at the science centre. ” The Tourism Ministry’s news release said it anticipates that the parking garage will “generate up to $60 million in gross revenue annually for the province once Ontario Place reaches full operation.
” The release didn’t say when its construction will begin or be completed. The procurement documents for the project said the government intended for construction to begin sometime in the next year and a half and to take about three years. The Ford government is hoping to complete its redevelopment of Ontario Place in 2029. Therme’s redevelopment of the west island, including the construction of its planned spa and waterpark, is the most significant part.
A new, relocated Ontario Science Centre is also being built there, along with a new Ontario Provincial Police detachment. Live Nation also plans to renovate the RBC Amphitheatre to make it a year-round concert venue. The auditor general estimated that it would cost over $2 billion of taxpayer funds to complete the redevelopment of Ontario Place.
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