Fengate PCL wins $1.5B P3 Restoration Project in Ontario

Aerial view of the Macdonald Block (source: Infrastructure Ontario)

Infrastructure Ontario and the Ontario Ministry of Government and Consumer Services have awarded a fixed-price $1.536 billion P3 contract to Fengate PCL Progress Partners (FP3) for the Macdonald Block Reconstruction Project, which consists of four towers and a podium (a total gross building area of approximately 1.7 million sq. ft.) near Queen’s Park in Toronto, an administrative hub of government operations that has never undergone a major renovation since it was completed in 1971.

The complex consists of five buildings: four office towers (Hearst, Hepburn, Mowat and Ferguson Towers) ranging from 10 to 24-storeys, connected by a 2-storey podium (Macdonald Block) with two floors of underground parking.

The reconstruction project will update all core building systems which have reached the end of their useful life. Extensive remediation work will also be undertaken to remove designated substances from the complex.

Care will be taken to preserve the integrity of its many heritage features. The reconstructed complex will meet current building, health, safety and accessibility standards, accommodate significantly more employees, and reduce the need for approximately 586,000 sq. ft. of expensive third-party leased office space.

The FP3 team includes:

• Developers: Fengate Asset Management and PCL Investments Canada Inc.
• Design-Builder: PCL Constructors Canada Inc.
• Design Architect: WZMH Architects
• Facilities Management: Johnson Controls Canada
• Financial Advisor: National Bank Financial

The contract requires FP3 to design, build and finance the reconstruction of the complex and maintain the complex for 30 years including lifecycle repair and renewal.

Design work and construction activities are to begin immediately, and construction is expected to be substantially complete in the spring of 2024 with staged occupancy beginning soon after that.