Planning for Our Kids Future

UPDATE ON PLANS FOR OUR NEW BUILDING!! 

Update: April 2010

We provide outpatient professional rehabilitation services for about 4,300 children and youth with special needs each year. These needs are continuing to grow.
As most of you know, we have vastly outgrown our physical facilities.
We currently lease space in Ajax and Whitby in addition to owning our main site in Oshawa. 

In recognition of our overcrowded conditions, Grandview Children's Centre received a grant from the Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services (MCYS) for planning and design of expanded facilities.
Expanded facilities will help us to better serve children and youth with special needs in Durham Region and their families. A new building will allow us to provide services more efficiently and to potentially reach more children. 

A completed proposal, which includes plans for one new building, was submitted to MCYS on September 29, 2009. The proposal includes evidence of the need for redevelopment, gives the detailed space requirements and provides preliminary plans for a new building. 

We are tremendously fortunate to have a great team of consultants and architects who have expertly led us through a very consultative and thorough process to develop this proposal.
Integrated Planning Resources Incorporated and Stantec Architecture Limited have provided expertise and sound professional resources to help us develop this excellent proposal. Not only have they appropriately challenged staff, they have also helped us to ensure a very consultative, inclusive and transparent process. The consultants and architects have led sessions with management, staff and families which have provided extensive and thoughtful input. Families and staff have also been invited to contact me directly with their ideas and suggestions throughout the planning process, and many took advantage of this opportunity. This input was all forwarded to the consultants and architects, and has been taken into careful consideration - much of it being included in the final proposal. 

As part of the preparation of the proposal, the consultants and architects considered various options, including expansion of the main Oshawa site which was built in 1983. It was determined that the size of the site and the design of the building does not permit expansion. We also considered the option of leasing more space. However, lease payments must be paid out of Grandview’s operating budget: so an increase in lease costs would reduce the amount of operating dollars available to pay therapy staff. Given our wait lists, this option was dismissed.
MCYS has advised us that the operation of a new building must not require additional annual MCYS funding. We are fortunate that we will be able to redirect the funds we currently apply to lease the Whitby and Ajax sites, to cover the costs to heat, clean and maintain the new, larger facility. Detailed analysis, in consultation with the architects and consultants, has satisfied us that will work.
Analysis of the options resulted in the architects’ and consultants’ recommendation that one new, more central building be constructed on a site of at least 7-8acres in size and that this building would replace the current Oshawa, Ajax and Whitby sites. 

Plans are for a new 68,000 square foot building, to replace the current 36,000 square feet that we currently use in the 3 sites. The projected cost of the project, including land and construction as well as all equipment, furnishings, landscaping, playground etc. is $41million.
Our proposal requests Ontario Government funding for $35million. We have asked the Foundation to plan and launch a $6million capital campaign. 

Unfortunately, the Ontario Government has recently put all capital projects on hold, pending a review. A new capital infrastructure plan will be released by the Ontario Government in 2011. 

When we receive approval, we hope that we will be able to secure the site for the new building within a few months. The site will likely be located in Ajax.
The architect will then develop full design drawings and the specifications necessary to go out to tender for construction. We hope to be able to start construction in the spring of 2012 and to move into our beautiful new building in late summer 2013!