Request for qualifications issued for consolidated courthouse project
Next step taken in improving court services for St. Thomas-Elgin residents
ST. THOMAS – Infrastructure Ontario released a request for qualifications (RFQ) today to design, build, finance and maintain a new consolidated courthouse in St. Thomas.
The new courthouse will be constructed on Wellington Street on the site of the historic Elgin County Courthouse, which will be incorporated into the new courthouse design.
Currently, the region’s Ontario Court of Justice and Superior Court of Justice operate from two separate locations in St. Thomas. The new St. Thomas Consolidated Courthouse will:
• improve access to justice in the region by consolidating existing courthouse facilities and services into one new location;
• have more courtrooms, better accessibility and security, and improved health and safety standards.
The RFQ is the first step in the process to select a team to design, build, finance and maintain the new facility.
RFQ submissions will be reviewed to pre-qualify project teams with the design, construction and facilities management experience, the qualified personnel and the financial strength to deliver a project of this size and complexity. Pre-qualified teams will then be invited to respond to a request for proposals (RFP), expected to be released in mid-2010, to design, build, finance and maintain the new facility.
“This is the next important step in finally making the long-awaited new consolidated courthouse a reality,” Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP Steve Peters said. “The finalized project will not only see to the court services needs of the community for many years to come, but along the way it will also create jobs and stimulate the St. Thomas area’s economy.”
Infrastructure Ontario will work 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.
Visit www.infrastructureontario.ca for more information.