HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO 22-25Report to Council
Report Number: CAO 22-25 Date: December 15, 2025
From: Marisa Carpino
Chief Administrative Officer
Subject: Construction of Dorsay Community & Heritage Centre Project Update
Tender No. T2023-12 – Milestone Report #4
File: A-1440-001
Recommendation:
1. That Report CAO 22-25 regarding the Dorsay Community & Heritage Centre Project
Update be received for information.
Executive Summary: The purpose of this report is to provide a semi-annual project status update on the construction of the Dorsay Community & Heritage Centre (DCHC), previously
called the Pickering Heritage & Community Centre (PHCC). In accordance with Recommendation 10 of Report FIN 03-24 (Resolution #398/24), staff were instructed to
provide semi-annual project status updates on the construction of DCHC.
Relationship to the Pickering Strategic Plan: The recommendations in this report respond to the Pickering Strategic Priorities to Champion Economic Leadership & Innovation; Advocate
for an Inclusive, Welcoming, Safe & Healthy Community; Advance Innovation & Responsible Planning to Support a Connected, Well-Serviced Community; Lead & Advocate for
Environmental Stewardship, Innovation & Resiliency; Strengthen Existing & Build New Partnerships; and, Foster an Engaged & Informed Community.
Financial Implications: The project construction phase is nearly complete, which is reflected in the total expenditure to date. The current year-to-date total expenditure on the construction contract, as of the writing of this report, is $36,942,091.72 (HST exempt, billed as
of September 2025) and when measured against the Council approved Purchase Order (PO
4500001411) amount of $51,953,000.00, represents a total expenditure of 71 percent,
excluding anticipated invoices for November and December 2025.
Furniture, fixture and equipment purchases, for products not included in the construction
contract, are only just commencing. These items cannot be received at the project site until formal possession of the building is transferred to the City in accordance with the requirements of the Ontario Building Code, required insurance is in place, and the building is secured under the City’s control. The site currently remains in the care and control of the general contractor.
Procurements have been coordinated and initiated to ensure that required goods and materials will arrive in a timely manner to enable staff to prepare the building for operation, after
occupancy has been granted.
CAO 22-25 December 15, 2025
Page 2
Approved Change Orders to date have added a net total increase of $1,528,333.15 (HST exempt). Overall, the project remains well under budget, though delays in the delivery of
certain key materials delayed the original target occupancy date from late October 2025 to January 2026. Seasonally dependent work, including most of the landscaping, will be supplied
and installed in the spring of 2026 to minimize risk of damage or loss likely to occur if planting were to proceed just before the onset of winter. Coordinated efforts have been made by the entire project team, including consultants and contractors, to help mitigate any impact of the resulting delays. Commissioning and proactive review of the final stages of the project are
already underway and will help to minimize deficiencies and enable staff to efficiently prepare this vibrant new facility for public use.
Discussion: The purpose of this report is to provide operational and financial project updates on the construction of the DCHC in accordance with Recommendation 10 of Report
FIN 03-24 (Resolution #398/24).
1. Decision History: A. Report CS 19-18; Resolution #455/18: RFP-6-2018 was awarded to Hariri Pontarini
Architects in June 2018 for design and consulting services of Phase 1 of the PHCC project.
B. Report CS 34-18; Resolution #08/18: Council directed staff to expand the scope of the design awarded for RFP-6-2018 to include Phase 2 design and related consulting services
in the amount of $660,654.50 (HST included). C. Report CS 20-19; Resolution #72/19: Council directed staff to submit an application for funding to the Government of Canada’s Canada Cultural Spaces Fund for the construction
of the PHCC. The City of Pickering was successful in securing $4,000,000.00 from the Canada Cultural Investment Fund toward construction costs for the PHCC.
D. Report CS 40-19; Resolution #595/21: Council authorized staff to initiate and submit an
application to the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to fund construction of PHCC.
The City of Pickering was not successful in securing $12,500,000.00 in funding from the Government of Canada Investing in Infrastructure Program.
E. Corr 24-21; Resolution #595/21: Council directed staff to submit an application for funding to the Government of Canada’s Green and Inclusive Community Building Program for the construction of the Council approved PHCC. The City of Pickering was successful in securing $12,500,000.00 toward construction costs for the PHCC.
F. Report CS 27-21; Resolution #612/21: Council directed staff to finance the net amount of
$126,691.00 in consulting costs to Hariri Pontarini Architects for the technical work required to complete the City’s application to the GICB program.
G. Report OPS 17-22; Resolution #970/22; Council directed staff to allocate unspent funds provided by Reports CS 19-18 and CS 34-18 for architectural, landscape and engineering services for the PHCC at the Pickering Museum Village be re-allocated for the conversion
CAO 22-25 December 15, 2025
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of existing technical documents to meet Net-Zero Design criteria in accordance with the City’s Green and Inclusive Community Building grant application in the net amount of
$394,727.00.
H. Report OPS 03-23; Resolution #79/23: Council directed staff to award consulting and professional services to Archaeological Services Inc. in the amount of $364,708.00 (HST Included) to complete an archaeological review of existing property to be affected by the construction of the PHCC.
I. Report FIN 01-24; Resolution #379/24: Council confirmed PHCC as a Capital Budget priority and requested that the Mayor include the applicable funds in the 2024 Current and
Capital Budget and Capital Forecast. The estimated gross construction cost is $61.2 million
less Federal Grants of $16.5 million which results in net construction cost of $44.7 million.
Council authorized staff to pursue naming rights revenues for the confirmed Capital Budget priorities.
J. Report FIN 03-24; Resolution #398/24: Council awarded the construction tender of the PHCC project to J. R. Certus. K. Report CS 25-24; Resolution #574/24: Council directed staff to explore the naming of the
exhibit gallery in the PHCC as the John E. Anderson Exhibit Gallery.
L. Report CAO 05-24: Resolution #533/24; staff provided Council with an update on the PHCC project.
M. Report CAO 07-24: Resolution #632/24; staff provided Council with an update on the PHCC project.
N. Report CS 01-25; Resolution #686/25; Council approved the naming of the exhibit gallery to be the John E. Anderson Exhibit Gallery.
O. Report ECD 05-25: At the May 26, 2025 Council Meeting, staff recommended accepting
$1,000,000.00 from Dorsay Developments Corporation in exchange for naming rights of
Pickering’s new community centre, (previously called the Pickering Heritage & Community Centre) to be called the Dorsay Community & Heritage Centre.
P. Report CAO 10-25: Resolution #764/25; staff provided Council with an update on the DCHC project. Q. Report CS 22-25; Resolution #840/25; Council directed staff to award the commission of
public art at the main entrance of DCHC to Hooman Mehdizadehjafari in the amount of $112,566.43 (HST included).
CAO 22-25 December 15, 2025
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2.Site Works & Construction Activity:
Construction is progressing well and nearing completion, with substantial performance
anticipated by or before the end of January 2026.
•Building Enclosure: All essential structural work has been completed except the
feature stair, which has been delivered to the site and will soon be installed. Similarly,much of the building envelope has been completed with the building expected to be fully
enclosed before the end of this calendar year. Delivery of glazing and cladding bothoccurred late but are now nearing completion. Temporary measures were implemented
to allow interior work to proceed separately to minimize the effects. All roofing work hasalso been completed.
•Mechanical & Electrical: Permanent power connection has been achieved, and the
energization of the various mechanical and electrical systems is proceeding in stages.
Most of the electrical rough-in work, including installation of electrical panels and switch
boards, automatic transfer switches, transformers, a large generator, as well as wiring
has been completed. About 80 percent of the mechanical systems installation which
includes boilers, heat pumps, water reservoir and treatment systems, cold and hot water
plumbing lines, drainage lines, air handling systems including ductwork has been
completed. The last of the lighting fixtures are arriving on site and being installed.
Similarly, the fire pump and most of the sprinkler system have been installed.
Commissioning work on all key systems is underway in preparation to hand over the
project to the City. The next phase of the work includes training staff on all of the new
building systems.
•Other Interior Works: Interior work is also progressing well, including the installation ofthe partition walls, ceiling, doors, and washrooms. Temporary measures were
implemented to ensure that this work would not be significantly impacted by delaysaffecting completion of the building envelope. Installation of millwork, flooring, hardwareand life-safety devices is already underway in coordination with authorities havingjurisdiction to avoid potential occupancy delays. The project team met with key staff
from Building Services and Fire Services in November 2025 to ensure that all partieswere aware of the process and requirements.
•Site Works: The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) lands immediatelyto the west of the project site have been transferred to the City, under full ownership
(see Attachment 1). These lands will provide overflow parking during peak use andevents, as well as providing parking for members of the public who wish to access theGreenwood Lands for hiking and recreation. A new trailhead will be added to markaccess to the TransCanada Trail as it passes through the western edge of the DCHC
property. Demolition and removal of the former museum administration building and allpreviously existing landscape features are complete. The site grading is almost
completed with some grading and gravel base installation still ongoing at the overflowparking area. The driveway work is progressing with the concrete curbs completed, and
the gravel base installed in anticipation of the first asphalt coat to be applied soon.
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Other ongoing landscaping works include concrete bases for light posts and the base for the artwork that was recently approved by Council, and partial tree planting. Sodding
and seeding is to be done in spring 2026 in order to prevent shock and premature death over the winter. Similarly, the rest of the tree planting is to be completed in the spring of
2026.
• Signage: Design for all required interior and exterior wayfinding and signage is
complete. Illuminated, pin-mounted letters on the building face will be mounted following the installation of the wood siding. The installation for the rest of the signage, including
interior and exterior wayfinding signs and the roadside (pylon) sign is expected to start soon. A permit application has been approved by the Ministry of Transportation (for the roadside sign. TRCA will provide a trail head and signage connecting to the TransCanada Trail. This work is to be done separately from the construction project, in
coordination with TRCA, and will be in the form of an information kiosk at the trail head. 3. Schedule:
The building will be open for public use in April 2026, as planned, though the precise timing of
installation of seasonally dependent landscaping works may be dependent on the arrival of suitable weather and temperature. Minor slippage in the overall project schedule was noted in Report CAO 10-25, with the anticipated date for occupancy now expected closer to the end of
January 2026. The entire project team remains committed and continues to work diligently and cooperatively to ensure that the facility is complete well in advance of the public opening. 4. Transit Stop at the DCHC:
As per Resolution #764/25 staff were directed to issue a formal request to Durham Region
Transit (DRT) for the provision of a bus stop in proximity to the DCHC. On July 18, 2025, the CAO issued a letter to DRT making the request. City staff met with the General Manager of
DRT and staff on October 3, 2025, to discuss transit options to the site. Staff from DRT raised some concerns over lack of resources, ability to service a new route, and lack of demonstrated demand for a dedicated route or transit stop. DRT staff remained open to further discussions and options. Further discussions will take place over the next few months.
5. Operating Plan
Operational planning is well underway, and the following updates have occurred since the first
Milestone Update #3. The DCHC is expected to open in April 2026.
• Stakeholders: Residents from the Greenwood Community Centre: Staff have been
meeting regularly with volunteers of the Greenwood Recreation Association (GRA) to
plan for a smooth transition from activities that are currently offered at the Greenwood
Community Centre to take place in the DCHC. A comprehensive annual plan including community events, meetings and activities was submitted by the GRA and all requested dates and times have been booked at the DCHC. All requested dates and times for
meetings have been booked for the Greenwood Community Association (Ratepayers Association). All requested meetings and spinning programming have been booked at
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the DCHC for the Shuttlebug Weavers Guild. Staff are also working with volunteers of the Guild to accommodate some large looms in Oddfellows Hall through a licence
agreement that will come to Council for approval in early 2026.
Programs: A comprehensive array of culture and recreation programs will be offered at the DCHC. Registration for recreation programs opened to the public on October 1, 2025, through an Early Bird Registration campaign, which offered complimentary one-week trial programs beginning in late April, and standard four-to-six-week programs
commencing in May. In order to promote the new facility staff are offering free programs and several mini sessions for residents to trial programs.
An exhibit plan has been completed and the first exhibit, ‘Forever Botanicals’, which is
currently showing at the Gardiner Museum, Toronto, has been booked. Staff are
working on a range of events for 2026 including the launch event, events in partnership with the GRA, and a wide range of community festivals and events.
Looking ahead, DCHC programs will be featured in the 2026 Spring Program campaign, scheduled to launch in February 2026 and the Summer Camps campaign in March 2026. Currently, there are 771 registrations (683 residents, 88 non-resident) for programs.
•Facility Bookings and rentals: Staff attended two wedding shows in 2025 to promotethe facility and facility bookings are actively being taken. Additional wedding shows arebooked in early 2026. Marketing and promotional activities commenced on September
4, 2025, with the launch of the Facility Rentals campaign targeting the wedding market.Key initiatives included launching a dedicated webpage: pickering.ca/dchcrentals,
featuring comprehensive facility offerings and wedding packages. Since the campaignlaunch, staff have received significant interest in the upcoming Sip n’ See event,
scheduled for June 2026, and have confirmed one wedding booking to date. The Sip n’See event will provide: A guided tour of the facility and grounds staged with a mockwedding. Onsite staff will be available for immediate bookings.
•Staffing Plan: staff positions have been identified for the facility, and job descriptionsare being fine-tuned for applicable positions. Hiring will begin in the first quarter of 2026so that all positions are secured for the opening of the facility.
Attachment:
1. Site Plan for DCHC Project, Lands Transferred to the City of Pickering
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Prepared By: Approved/Endorsed By:
Original Signed By Original Signed By
Lou Khassay, OAA, LEED AP Vince Plouffe, OAA, MRAIC
Senior Project Manager, Capital Projects Division Head, Facilities Management & Construction
Original Signed By
Laura Gibbs, MBA, MSc. Director, Community Services
LG:dy
Recommended for the consideration of Pickering City Council
Original Signed By
Marisa Carpino, M.A. Chief Administrative Officer
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Attachment 1 to Report CAO 22-25CAO 22-25 ATTACHMENT 1
SITE PLAN OF DCHC PROJECT
SHOWING ACQUIRED TRCA LANDS
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FIRE ACCESS ROUTE
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GRAVEL MAINTENANCE PATH GRAVEL MAINTENANCE PATH
SERVICE SCREEN & PAD FIRE PROTECTION ENTRANCE
WATER TANKS UNDERGROUND GATE TRANSFORMER PROPERTY SERVICE TRENCH ACQUIRED GENERATOR
FROM SECONDARY ENTRANCE DORSAY 147.55
GRAVEL MAINTENANCE PATH T.R.C.A. COMMUNITY EXP.AGGR. CONCRETE
PATIO & HERITAGE 3,670 m2 GARDEN TRANS CANADA STEPPING STONES CENTRE TRAIL TO RE-ROUTE TC TRAIL THROUGH NEW SIDEWALK SYSTEM TO LINK TO EXISTING PATH CROSSWALK EMBANKMENT
NORTH OF SITE EXPOSED AGGREGATE EXP.AGGR. CONC.PATHWAY CONCRETE PATHWAY
PATHWAY
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GRAVEL PARKING PATHWAY SLOPED FOR UNIVERSAL ACCESS & TO MEET EXISTING
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LOT LINE BUILDING 1: RELOCATED (HARVEY HOUSE) LOADING
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HB PATHWAY SLOPED FOR UNIVERSAL ACCESS & TO MEET EXISTING UP
BUS PARKING 147.55
NATIVE 2000 EV BUILDING 2: WASTE MGMT LANDSCAPING & PAD
RELOCATED (LOG HOUSE) ENCLOSURE SEE LANDSCAPE DWGS EVC EV
UP EVC EXISTING GRAVEL PATH EV EV
NATIVE LANDSCAPING SNOW STORAGE SEE LANDSCAPE PROVISION DWGS ENSURE CLEARANCE AND SLOPE SUITABLE FOR SKIDSTEER ACCESS FOR MAINTENANCE PATHWAY
EXISITING SHED 28
1
EXISTING FOREST TO REMAIN
GRAVEL PARKING
NORTH
NOT TO SCALE