On December 16, 2014, the City of Saskatoon signed a project agreement with Integrated Team Solutions SCOC Partnership, a consortium comprised of EllisDon Capital Inc. and Fengate Capital Management, on behalf of Fengate Greenfield Infrastructure Fund L.P. and Toronto Electrical Workers Infrastructure Fund L.P., to design, build, finance and maintain the Saskatoon Civic Operations Centre (COC), with EllisDon Design Build Inc. providing construction services and COFELY Services Inc. as the operations, maintenance and major maintenance and rehabilitation provider. The $160 million project is the City’s first Public-Private Partnership and includes the development of a transit operations facility as well as a snow management facility which the consortium will operate for a 25 year term.
The COC, which will have the capacity to house 224 City buses and future fleet growth, will also feature administrative offices, fare collection stations, fueling, wash lanes, maintenance bays and inspection pits. In addition, the Snow Management Facility will have the capacity to store one million cubic metres of snow, and a meltwater collection site that will monitor the environmental safety of meltwater before it is released into the storm sewer system.
Construction is set to begin in Spring 2015 and conclude by late 2016.
The City of Saskatoon’s legal team was led in-house by Cindy Yelland, Director of Planning & Development Law and supported by Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP with a team that included Judy Wilson, Marianne Smith, Kate McGilvray, Theresa Chan, Alyssa Shivji, Jason MacIntyre and Stephanie Console.
Integrated Team Solutions SCOC Partnership was represented by McMillan LLP with a team that included Catherine Doyle, Candy Saga, Rob Scavone, Cheryl Stacey, Adam Kline, Julie Han, Maria Sagan, Ahsan Mirza and Michelle Boodhoo.
Advice on matters related to the law of Saskatchewan was provided by McDougall Gauley LLP with a team that included Michael Milani, Christopher Boychuk and Stuart Wicijowski.
Fengate Capital Management Ltd., Fengate Greenfield Infrastructure Fund L.P. and Toronto Electrical Workers Infrastructure Fund L.P. were also represented by Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP with a team that included Paul Harricks and Rob Blackstein.
The ITS team also included Kristen Wittman of Taylor McCaffrey LLP, EllisDon Design Build Inc., was represented in-house by Jody Becker, Michelle Kidd and Christopher Moran, with support from Peter Schwartz of Harrison Pensa LLP.
COFELY Services Inc. was advised by Dentons Canada LLP with a team that included Anca Neacsu, Maria Kourelis and Charles Bardou.
Financing for the project was provided by way of long term and short term senior secured bonds issued by Integrated Team Solutions SCOC Partnership which bonds were underwritten by Scotia Capital Inc. and BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. The underwriters were represented by Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP with a team that included Michael Allen and Maria McKenzie.