April 24, 2014
News Release - Thunder Bay to Benefit from AFP Approach to New Courthouse
The Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships welcomes the news that the Thunder Bay Consolidated Courthouse is now officially open. Ontarians will benefit from the province’s Alternative Finance and Procurement (AFP) model, which enables on-time and on-budget delivery while maintaining public ownership, control and accountability.
The new seven storey, 250,000 square-foot facility has space to accommodate 15 courtrooms and includes Ontario’s first Aboriginal Conference Settlement Suite. The 30-year design-build-finance-maintain contract with Plenary Justice will ensure that the facility is well-maintained, with the flexibility to offer much-needed court services to the Thunder Bay area for decades to come. Cost savings under the AFP model are estimated to be $23.5 million (6.8%) compared to conventional delivery. The project had more than 200 workers contributing to the project during construction, most of whom were local.
There are 207 projects across Canada like this one using the public-private partnership approach to deliver innovative solutions to complex public needs.