Pan Am Athletes' Village

operational

Opportunity In 2001 the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation was created to address Toronto’s need for a new community to house its rapidly expanding population. The organization began transforming Toronto’s waterfront into two districts with a series of sustainable, mixed-use neighbourhoods, parks, and facilities. While plans began long before the City of Toronto was selected to host the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games, the provincial government’s decision to put the Athletes’ Village in the West Don Lands accelerated its development by five to ten years. Challenges Before any development could occur in the West Don Lands, Infrastructure Ontario worked with Waterfront Toronto to remediate the brownfield site and to construct a massive flood protection landform that will protect 209.6 hectares (518 acres) of Toronto’s downtown east end. Construction of temporary installations such as a media centre, fences, a bus depot, a 69,965-square-foot dining tent to provide 21,000 meals a day during the Games, and 220,000 pieces of furniture and other items. Converting the site for residential purposes following the Games. Innovations Given the tight project timeline, the developer agreed to start constructing two market residential buildings prior to selling most of the market condo units, an atypical approach in condo development. Results Using an alternative financing and procurement (AFP) model ensured the on-time and on-budget delivery of:  a new community that is barrier-free; an Athletes’ Village with approximately 270 adapted and accessible units; two market residential buildings (with 810 units in condominiums and townhouses) and affordable housing (100 units for ownership and 253 rental units – of which, at least 10% will be accessible); and George Brown College’s student housing units and the Cooper Koo Family YMCA recreational facility.   Canary District, the new, barrier-free community, has a pedestrian-friendly network of roads with bike paths and public spaces that connect the West Don Lands with adjacent communities. More than 300 families will be able to move into new affordable housing starting in spring 2016. The Aboriginal community and lower income, working households; individuals with physical disabilities; veterans; and seniors will have access to high quality affordable housing through Fred Victor and Wigwamen, non-profit housing providers. George Brown College’s first ever student residence will become home to 500 students. At full build-out the annual property taxes for the area will generate an estimated $30 million. The flood protection landform prepared the West Don Lands for development and will prevent flood damage to properties in the downtown core. The construction of new storm water treatment facility has been recognized with a 2011 Award of Excellence by Canadian Architect magazine. The project reused one million tonnes of soil, diverting it from landfill. Surrounding communities will now have a YMCA sport and recreation centre, supporting more than 8,000 people in a neighbourhood where population is projected to increase 13.5 per cent by 2020. In addition to the 700 direct jobs created at the peak of construction, an entirely new neighbourhood will boost the city’s GDP for decades to come. All buildings were designed and constructed to achieve a minimum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification. The community has one of Canada’s first open access ultra-high speed broadband networks, which means unlimited data, internet and Wi-Fi for residents

High