PCL Constructors Canada Inc. (Toronto) celebrated the completion of MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment) Foundation’s MLSE LaunchPad, the first North American youth-focused collaborative space to leverage sports, education and research to promote social change. An unveiling event for the facility took place on January 26, 2017.
“As MLSE LaunchPad’s construction management partner, PCL is proud to celebrate completion of the project and we congratulate MLSE Foundation, Toronto Community Housing and the City of Toronto on their inspiring vision for this ground-breaking community development project,” said Jim Dougan, PCL president of Eastern Canada operations, in a press release.
For this project, PCL fitted out 42,000 square feet of shell space into classrooms, sports courts, a teaching kitchen, climbing wall, change rooms, washrooms, offices and storage, as well as completed upgrades to mechanical and electrical spaces.
PCL will be recognized by MLSE Foundation as a Building Partner and will be listed on MLSE LaunchPad’s Donor Wall of Fame for pledging over $1 million to the construction with support from its trade partners, who will all be individually recognized for their fundraising efforts. Trade partners include Sprint Mechanical, Anco Contracting, L&L Painting and Decoration, Limen Group, SC Floors, Westpoint Construction, Plan Group, Merit Glass, Northwood Surfaces, Guide Woodworking, and Maple Terrazzo, Marble & Tile.
“We would like to commend our trade partners and suppliers who not only played a key role in bringing this transformation to life, but who brought MLSE Foundation’s vision even further to reality by donating funds to support construction of the project,” added Dougan.
The unveiling event was attended by nearly 400 donors and guests. Festivities included an official first hockey goal by former Toronto Maple Leafs player Shayne Corson, first basket by former Toronto Raptors player Jamaal Magloire, and first soccer goal by former Toronto FC player Dwayne De Rosario.
MLSE LaunchPad was constructed on the once-intended site of a community roller rink on the first level of a Toronto Community Housing apartment complex, which sat vacant for two decades before this project began.
