STORY BY NAT GILPO
The Hazel McCallion Campus expansion took another step forward last week when Sheridan and Infrastructure Ontario shortlisted three teams for the project.
Ten firms have been divided into three teams, which are expected to provide proposals to design HMC Phase 2. They have six months to submit these proposals to Infrastructure Ontario.
Because Infrastructure Ontario is the manager of this project, Sheridan College will be following their process in constructing the expansion to HMC. This process requires three firms to begin construction.
“What we look for is real creative innovation with respect to the design of the actual building,” said Steven Parfeniuk, Sheridan’s vice-president of finances and administration. “When you have three firms working with you, what you have is the head [of the project] and the heads of three other firms trying to build the best building possible.”
Parfeniuk says that the reason the construction of hospitals, jails and courts have been so successful in Ontario is because of this process.
Each proposal must meet the requirements stated by Infrastructure Ontario and Sheridan College, including the number of classrooms, seating capacity in the cafeteria and the library, and a design for a new bookstore on campus.
“We’ve told them all of the ‘ingredients’ that will be going into the building,” said Parfeniuk. “They’re going to make the meal.”
Because the proposals for the new designs require the firm’s resources, each team will be paid by Infrastructure Ontario, even if their proposal has not been used.
The new expansion is expected to offer more programs and increase enrolment to 3,200 full-time students, according to a media release from Infrastructure Ontario and the college. The new building is also going to contain new computer labs, a creativity centre and a gallery space.
The team representing Sheridan College in this project will be meeting with the heads of each firm occasionally over the next four to five months to discuss the proposals as they’re being made.