Ontario Construction Report staff writer
Construction of the 348-bed Rekai Centre at Cherry Place in Toronto’s West Don Lands has reached grade, marking a major milestone for the 255,000-sq. ft. long-term care and healthcare project.
The 13-storey facility is being developed as a Campus of Care that will combine long-term care, healthcare services, education and community amenities in the growing waterfront neighbourhood, steps from Corktown Commons Park.
Multiplex is the general contractor and Montgomery Sisam is the design architect. The Rekai Centres is the owner.
“George Brown Polytechnic is pleased to partner with The Rekai Centres on a new Education Centre,” said Dr. Gervan Fearon, President, George Brown Polytechnic. “By bringing education and practice together, we can provide our students with meaningful experiential learning while contributing to the development of a skilled healthcare workforce and strengthening care in our communities.”
The project is expected to open in 2028 and will include 348 long-term care beds, including 96 beds for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia and 22 beds in Rekai’s Rainbow Wing, which supports members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community and their allies.
The facility will also include designated dementia-care floors, an Infection Control Zone and a dialysis clinic.
A new Education Centre, developed through a partnership between The Rekai Centres and George Brown Polytechnic, will provide healthcare students with hands-on training in an active long-term care environment. The program will support training for Personal Support Workers, registered nurses and other healthcare workers.
The partnership builds on an existing relationship between George Brown Polytechnic and The Rekai Centres and is intended to connect education and clinical practice while helping develop the healthcare workforce.
LifeLabs will also operate a ground-floor Patient Service Centre at the facility. The centre will provide laboratory and diagnostic services to Rekai residents and members of the surrounding community.
The project is supported by the Building Ontario Fund and is being delivered as part of the development of the West Don Lands and broader waterfront community.
Peter Rekai, chair of the board of directors at The Rekai Centres, said the project is intended to create an integrated model of care that allows people to age in their communities.
George Brown Polytechnic president Gervan Fearon said the Education Centre will give students meaningful experiential learning while supporting development of the healthcare workforce.
Waterfront Toronto chief development officer Meg Davis said the project will add healthcare and senior-care services to a growing community.
The project team also includes the Building Ontario Fund, Waterfront Toronto, George Brown Polytechnic and LifeLabs.
The Rekai Centre at Cherry Place is expected to be completed and open to residents in 2028.
