Teams shortlisted for Oakville science complex

Key Takeaways:

• Infrastructure Ontario has prequalified three bidding consortiums—led by PCL, Amico, and Plenary/EBC respectively—for the new Oakville Science Facility Complex.
• The 229,000-square-foot P3 laboratory complex will consolidate environmental and radiological labs onto a 7.5-acre site near the William Halton Parkway.
• A comprehensive Request for Proposals (RFP) will be issued to the three teams in early fall 2026, with a final commercial contract award scheduled for late 2027.

The Whole Story:

Infrastructure Ontario (IO), alongside the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) and the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD), announced the prequalification of three short-listed bidding teams. The selected consortium will lead the design, construction, financing, and long-term maintenance of a massive new government-owned Science Facility Complex in north Oakville.

The state-of-the-art, four-story complex will span roughly 229,000 square feet and consolidate multiple aging regional operations onto an 7.5-acre parcel of provincially-owned land just north of the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. Engineered to achieve a minimum LEED Silver certification, the specialized facility will house flexible laboratory environments, advanced science workshops, and regulatory enforcement offices. Once operational, the consolidated hub will support about 400 scientific and administrative jobs, providing the province with enhanced capacity for the high-security testing and advanced monitoring of radiological materials, live viruses, and environmental contaminants.

The three prequalified teams selected to advance to the final stage of bidding include:

• Fengate PCL Progress Partners: Led by Fengate Capital Management Ltd. and building giant PCL Investments Inc., with Parkin Architects Limited as lead designer and Honeywell Limited managing facilities operations.
• Amico Science & Technology: Anchored by Amico Major Projects Inc. and Amico Design Build Inc., supported by co-lead architects HOK Architects Corporation and WSP Canada Inc., with facilities management handled by Dexterra Group Inc.
• Technology and Nature Integrated Collaborative (Plenary/EBC): Championed by Plenary Americas Holdings Ltd. and contractor EBC Inc., with design services handled by DIALOG Ontario Inc., and facility maintenance executed by Equans Services Inc.

The procurement is utilizing a public-private partnership (P3) Design-Build-Finance-Maintain (DBFM) delivery track managed by IO. Officials expect this structural model to deliver an estimated 15% to 22% in value-for-money savings compared to traditional municipal public tenders. A formal Request for Proposals (RFP) containing technical criteria and baseline design specifications is slated for release to the three prequalified teams in early fall 2026. Following thorough evaluations overseen by an independent third-party fairness monitor, Ontario plans to name its preferred builder and finalize a commercial project agreement in late 2027.