Pan Am athletes’ village going for LEED Gold: green construction

Robin Careless –

The Gooderham & Worts Neighborhood Association—a nonprofit organization that covers the Distillery and Canary Districts—held its annual meeting on March 31.

Formed in 2001, the association represents the five inhabited buildings in the area and meets to collaborate on quality of life issues.

Renee Gomes, Waterfront Toronto’s director of development, was the keynote speaker at the meeting. She addressed many of the concerns about the development and future of the Toronto waterfront, most notably the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games.

“Unlike many athletes’ village projects which are purpose-built to house competitors during major athletic events, then converted to other uses following the games, Toronto’s athletes’ village project is accelerating the building of a community that was already planned and under development,” said Gomes. “Utilizing a section of the West Don Lands means a significant increase in the pace of transforming the former industrial lands into a beautiful, sustainable, mixed-use neighbourhood.”

The buildout of the 32 hectare (80 acres) West Don Lands neighbourhood has been planned to unfold in three strategic phases over several years, subject to market conditions. “With the Pan Am Games, more than half of the community will be in place for the Games in 2015,” Gomes reported.

Eight permanent buildings are being constructed for the games. Two of them will be turned into affordable rental housing, and one will be a YMCA. Another will become a George Brown College student residence, and the remaining four will be new condo developments.

Dundee Kilmer won the contract from Waterfront Toronto. As part of the  Canary District development, the buildings must integrate into the area and be eco-friendly.

“The village is targeting LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification for permanent buildings,” continued Gomes “As a multiple-building complex, the Athletes’ Village is pursuing LEED certification as a single project.” LEED is a building rating system for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings.