Region forges ahead with expanded headquarters

422,000-square-foot building will house 1,500 workspaces

Yorkregion.com
March 7, 2014
By Sean Pearce

York Region is forging ahead with a $212.8-million administrative centre annex project adjacent to its Newmarket headquarters.

The building will be an estimated 422,000 square feet and will accommodate about 1,500 workspaces. It will also connect to the existing regional building via a footbridge. Newmarket council received an update from regional staff on the annex during a site plan review committee meeting earlier this week.

The administrative centre on Yonge Street houses about 1,000 staff, which is more than triple its 1994 occupancy and twice the capacity for which it was designed, according to regional commissioner of corporate services Jim Davidson.

“It’s not a great, useable space,” Mr. Davidson said. “The administrative centre is iconic - it’s designed to be - but this other building is meant to be more functional.”

The annex is less about making a statement and more focused on maximizing square feet, he added.

Construction costs are estimated to be $181 million, with the remaining $31.8 million earmarked for furniture, fixtures and equipment, professional fees, tender costs, permits and project management expenses.

Newmarket Mayor Tony Van Bynen called the project exciting for a number of reasons and also described it as a potential pre-cursor to the type of development the town seeks. He urged his council colleagues to move past some of the “political rhetoric” to truly consider the needs of the region, while also suggesting the site was ideal given its location in the town’s urban centre, its proximity to transit and the fact the region already owns the land on which the annex is to be built.

“It’s going to be a more efficient structure, but it also provides for growth of an additional 500 jobs,” Mr. Van Bynen said. “It also creates available space for other job opportunities throughout Newmarket, where (regional offices) are currently leased.”

The region leases office space on Cane Parkway, Gorham Street and the first and second floors of the Tannery Mall on Davis Drive for community and health services personnel. In addition, York community and health services staff can also be found within spaces already owned by the region on Bayview Parkway, Prospect Street and Eagle Street. The region considers these to be functionally obsolete and in need of pricey repairs and renovations to bring them into compliance with legislation such as the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

Beyond those, the region leases several suites in the Tannery for court services, including three courtrooms, which are no longer considered ideal. At 100 years old, the mall doesn’t meet all of the requirements set out by the Attorney General Ministry in terms of space, security and parking and the owners of the property have expressed interest in eventually re-developing it.

By consolidating operations within the annex, the region anticipates it could alleviate its need for the leased office space, avoid expensive repairs and renovations and also establish 10 brand new courtrooms. The region estimates savings could range between $26 million and $60 million over the life of the building.

The annex won’t require re-zoning, Newmarket planning and building services director Rick Nethery explained, categorizing the presentation made as a lead-up to someone applying for a building permit. The region is requesting an approval in principle, he added.

This stage is council’s chance to ensure the plan meets any aesthetic objectives and other criteria, Mr. Nethery said, adding the fundamental use of the land is already established.

However, the project isn’t a hit with everyone.

Newmarket Ward 6 Councillor Maddie Di Muccio referred to the annex as a “Taj Mahal of buildings” on social media site, Twitter. She was also critical of the fact materials for the meeting weren’t posted on the town’s website prior to the session and called for future committees to be live-streamed.

There won’t be much action on the administrative annex in the near future, even though it’s already been several years in the making.

The region has settled a flood plain issue with the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority and will be able to begin some culvert work this summer, Mr. Davidson said, but construction won’t likely get going until 2016, with an estimated completion date of 2019 and an opening anticipated in 2020.

Among other concerns, one matter that would need to be dealt with between now and then is the re-location of Doane House Hospice at the northwest corner of Yonge and Eagle streets.

In the fall, regional council approved an updated business case for the annex project owing to the increased scale of the project and the rise in material costs. Staff has been authorized to issue a tender for the project in 2016 and the commissioner of corporate services has been given authority to award the contract to the lowest bidder, provided the total cost doesn’t exceed the $212.8 million figure.

Long before then, you will have an opportunity to get a closer look at the region’s administrative centre annex project yourself. The region hopes to host a public information centre on the plan in June, Mr. Davidson said.