Client: Infrastructure Ontario and Ministry of the Attorney General

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Delivery Model: Public-Private Partnership: Design-Build-Finance-Maintain

Size: 690,000 sq. ft.

Value: $505 million

Project Highlights

• 2019 National Awards for Innovation and Excellence in Public-Private Partnerships—Silver Award under the Project Development category.
• The NTC Project includes the first Indigenous Learning Centre in an Ontario courthouse. This space offers opportunities for the public, justice workers, and students to learn about Indigenous history and issues related to the justice system in Ontario.
• Designed to achieve LEED® Silver Certification.

The New Toronto Courthouse (NTC) is the first high-rise, Design-Build-Finance-Maintain (DBFM) courthouse project in Ontario. The new courthouse for the Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG) amalgamates six Ontario Court of Justice criminal courthouse locations and associated spaces into one building.

Located in the judicial precinct adjacent to Toronto City Hall, NTC will be an 800,000 sq. ft. 19-story facility with 63 new judicial hearing rooms (53 courtrooms, including a multiple accused, high-security courtroom, and 10 conference/settlement rooms). NCT will also have associated program spaces such as judicial chambers and support, Crown attorneys, Police Court Bureau, prisoner handling, Court Services Division, Victim/Witness Assistance Program, Counsel Services, public services, building services, and judicial/program parking.

The partnership responsible for the New Toronto Courthouse has set a new standard for high-rise courthouse construction and design in Canada; combining innovative architecture and the latest in technology, we’ve delivered high-quality design that will improve operational processes with the ultimate goal of enhancing operational efficiencies to improve access to justice in Ontario.

EllisDon Capital Inc. (EDC) is the Developer Lead, 100% Equity Provider, and Financial Advisor on the NTC Project. As Developer Lead, EDC led the consortium through procurement, financing, design development, construction, and transition planning for operations, providing leadership and a single point of contact with Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of Attorney General, and successfully achieving commercial and financial close.

The Operating Phase of the NTC Project will involve facilities maintenance and lifecycle work over a 30-year term until 2052, being led by a joint venture that includes EllisDon Facilities Services Inc.

EllisDon Infrastructure, led by EllisDon Capital is delivering the NTC Project with a design team led by world-renowned architects Renzo Piano Building Workshop in partnership with NORR. Best known for international landmarks such as The Shard in the United Kingdom and the New York Times Building, RPBW brought an approach and perspective to the NTC project unique for a P3 project. The capacity and intent to imagine and design timeless projects that avoid simply stylistic or fashionable strategies is an integral part of the ethos of Renzo Piano and the RPBW team. Having an architect such as RPBW involved in the NTC project resulted in not only the design of a civic building but a space fully integrated into its urban fabric and history, and that can support the evolution of the city and its society.

The project objectives outlined in the Project Output Specifications were carefully defined and acted as the driving considerations by which the quality and performance of the design propositions were gauged. Over a 9-month period, Design Presentation and Commercially Confidential Meetings were utilized to refine the design of the New Toronto Courthouse and to attain the ambitions of MAG, IO, and the City of Toronto. Alongside architect Renzo Piano Building Workshop, the EDI team brought a unique perspective to the P3 model and ultimately provided a design that captured the long-standing heritage of the site and strengthened the presence of justice in the city of Toronto.

As NTC is located in the heart of the city of Toronto, community engagement and input was a key consideration for the project’s design. Through the design development process, EllisDon met with various community stakeholders including the local Accessibility Committee, Heritage Working Group, Indigenous Advisory groups, and local businesses and property owners. Extensive community involvement early in the process maximized the "buy-in" from a wide range of stakeholders and allowed them to be a part of the project development. Involving the community and government in the development of the project ensured that the New Toronto Courthouse provided meaningful solutions and interpretations for the site's long-standing history.

The P3 approach applied to the New Toronto Courthouse project serves as a model for high-rise courthouse projects and delivery of other large-scale infrastructure assets. As a bold vision by MAG, the New Toronto Courthouse raises the bar as to how governments can deliver highly complex infrastructure projects to produce long-lasting benefits for generations to come.

As a high-rise courthouse, the New Toronto Courthouse will be the first of its kind in Ontario. EDI’s success on the New Toronto Courthouse Project demonstrates that value for money can be achieved without compromising design excellence.