Ottawa Congress Centreo officials announced Friday that they not only want a top-notch facility in the heart of downtown Ottawa, but the innovative plan requires the builder to be community conscious as well.
"It will forever change the downtown core of Ottawa ... You don't have to be an economist to see that this project is going to be a catalyst for tremendous development in the next 10 years," said Jim Durrell, Ottawa Congress Centre chair.
In September, Ottawa's Congress Centre will be demolished and replaced by a state-of-the-art facility to reinvigorate the downtown core. The new facility should be open by April 2011.
The builder who wins the contract will be required to train future builders. Algonquin College hopes it will help address a shortage in apprentice placement spaces in the industry.
"There is decreasing number of young people and more jobs to fill," said John Paul Tapp, dean of transportation and building trades at Algonquin College.
The problem is finding qualified professionals to take in willing students who must complete work placements to graduate.
For the first time, contractors will also have potentially millions of dollars in donations from unions and companies to help combat homelessness in the downtown core. That money could be used to build up to 500 affordable housing units annually over the next three years, something Ottawa desperately needs.
"There's no sense in building something iconic in nature and wonderful for our city and at the same time moving homeless people down three blocks," said Durrell.
If it works, the hope is this kind of community-centred plan will catch on.
"We're talking about millions of dollars obviously but this is a beginning and an example to others during their construction process," said Ottawa Councillor Georges Bedard.
With a report from CTV's Catherine Lathem
