The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has broken ground on the first phase of one of the largest redevelopment projects in Canada: replacing an out-of-date mental health institution on 27 acres with a mixed-use urban village.
Architecture
TORONTO
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has broken ground on the first phase of one of the largest redevelopment projects in Canada: replacing an out-of-date mental health institution on 27 acres with a mixed-use urban village.
To be completed in December of 2007, the $35 million Phase 1A of the redevelopment includes three, four-storey “alternate milieu” inpatient client-care buildings and a four-storey outpatient and administration facility.
Each of the inpatient buildings houses 24 private bedrooms with bathrooms, plus communal living, kitchen and dining facilities and a garden-like, private healing space.
These units will accommodate clients from CAMH’s addictions program and mood and anxiety program. They have been designed to create a home-like environment that helps patients make the transition back into the community.
Phase 1A also includes creation of a new public park on Queen Street West at Fennings Street, attractive streetscaping and landscape design and restoration of the historic Victorian wall on the west side of the site.
“This is an historic moment,” said CAMH chief executive officer and president Dr. Paul Garfinkel.
“Our redevelopment marks a huge step forward, taking mental health and addiction care into the 21st century.”
The project team includes the Community Care Consortium, which is composed of three Toronto architectural firms: Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects, Montgomery Sisam Architects Inc. and Kearns Mancini Architects Inc.
General contractor is Eastern Construction Co. Ltd. The firm has moved trailers on site.
Project manager Dean Sabean told Daily Commercial News that initial works include soil removal and demolition.
“We hope to have a subcontractor on site within a couple of weeks.”
The redevelopment schedule calls for excavation to be completed in November, foundations and footings put in place in January and the buildings enclosed next summer.
Sabean said substantial performance is targeted for mid-December of 2007.
The construction budget for phase 1A is about $26 million.
The $382 million, multi-year, multi-phase redevelopment scheme is intended to transform the centre’s sequestered site from a “stigmatized” mental health facility into a vibrant neighbourhood with new sidewalks, shops, restaurants and businesses.
Several new through streets will link the site with the larger neighbourhood.
“The physical environment makes an enormous difference in how clients recover,” Garfinkel said at the groundbreaking.
“We’re building home-like facilities and a real community setting for treatment — a safe, comfortable and welcoming neighbourhood for both clients and neighbours.”
The redevelopment is scheduled to be 90 per cent completed by 2018.
It is being funded on a phase-by-phase basis.
CAMH is one of the largest addiction and mental health organizations in North America.
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