Ontario Construction Report special feature
Buttcon has been recognized through the Ontario General Contractors Association (OGCA) Builder Awards for the Maple Leaf Gardens re-modernization project and the GO Transit East Region Bus Storage and Maintenance Facility.
The $128.5 million Maple Leaf Gardens project converted “Canada’s oldest hockey shrine” into a combined major retail flagship for Loblaws and Ryerson University athletic facility which included a spectator ice rink and gymnasium, fitness facility and support areas such as change rooms and concessions. The building now contains more than 400,000 sq. ft. of added space with new mechanical, electrical and life safety systems.
According to Buttcon’s website, the “re-modernization project was a blend of structural ingenuity and innovative system integration. Buttcon took a customer-centric and collaborative approach based on the multi-stakeholders and interests.”
Challenges included maintaining the building’s historical integrity, including the original steel structure, dome ceiling and exterior brick, as well as restoring the original marquee and windows. Internal demolition and reconstruction has been described as “like building a ship in a bottle.”
The 150,000 sq. ft. flagship Loblaw store included specialty finishes and an underground parking level. “The store holds a 1,400 sq. ft. cooking area, specialized food service units, a wall of cheese that extends five m. tall, a high end kitchen facility, food bars, a deli, a cooking school, coffee shop with a gelato station and a two-level Ace Bakery.”
The Ryerson athletic facility occupies the remaining 250,000 sq. ft. It includes “an NHL-sized ice rink with 2,500 seats in a full bowl configuration, a fitness centre, basketball and volleyball courts with retractable seating for 1,000 and concession stands.”
Athletic and administration offices, varsity and guest change rooms, and a RAMS café for the Ryerson students are also included, along with an audio visual room, alumni seating on the north and south sides, and a state-of-the-art treadmill for skate training, rehabilitation and public use.
Meanwhile, the $48.5 million GO Transit East Region Bus Storage and Maintenance Facility involved the design and construction of a 206,000 sq. ft. building to store up to 56 buses indoors, with outdoor parking for 12 buses and other vehicles. Other requirements included a repair shop, indoor fueling services bays, fully automated bus wash systems, inspection pit bays with pit jacks, body repair, another service bay with in ground hoist and overhead gantry crane and associated equipment.
Originally designed to achieve LEED Silver, the project reached Gold certification in part through a roof-top co-gen system to generate electricity to heat the service bays’ floor.
Emergency Door Service Inc. (EDS) provided expertise to Buttcon for both projects. Service manager Stephen Cornelius says the company mechanically and electrically installed the custom high speed doors.
“Our specialty was our ability to install their EFAFLEX premium series insulated high speed door as per the manufacturer’s specifications,” he said. “We also supplied and installed the rolling steel fire doors, shutters and sectional doors.”
EDS specializes in high-speed doors for commercial environments through a partnership with EFAFLEX, the leading manufacturer of high speed doors, to provide clients with the world’s fastest, safe vertical opening door, Cornelius said. “High opening speeds minimize the waiting time in front of the doors and thus accelerate the logistic processes, while our thermally separated insulated laths effectively create a controlled environment in any application.”
Cornelius says on projects of this size there are always challenges, product changes and timelines to be accommodated. “However, with open communication between Buttcon and ourselves we were able to achieve the client’s main goal of occupancy in a timely manner.”
He says Buttcon is a straightforward company who provides detailed specifications about the client’s requirements and expectations. “Employees are professional and provide appropriate support on and off site, all in the aim of ensuring the projects are completed within expected timelines and budget, without compromising quality of workmanship.”
Buttcon is an employee-owned Canadian company recognized for high quality workmanship, innovative solutions and an ability to fast-track projects. The company is a member of the Canadian Construction Association (CCA), the Toronto Construction Association (TCA), the Transportation Association of Canada and the Design-Build Institute, as well as the OGCA.