Background
The York Memorial Collegiate Institute caught fire in May 2019 and sustained severe damage. Because the school is a Designated Heritage building, efforts were undertaken immediately after the fire to salvage key elements and artifacts and to stabilize the remaining structure. The Heritage aspect also means that the reconstructed building will recreate many significant features of the original school that were lost in the fire, such as the auditorium. The project is made up of three Phases:
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Phase 1 - the preparation of the site for reconstruction and work on the Heritage south façade. This has been under active construction since 2020.
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Phase 2 - the reconstruction of the third floor, auditorium and the overall original YMCI footprint.
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Phase 3 – the reconstruction of 2 Trethewey + Annex as part of the creation of dedicated academic space in this area. Phase 2 +3 are intended to be built at the same time.
The Schematic Design of the project was approved in February 2022. Since that time, the design team has focused on overall design development. The team has obtained approval from Toronto Heritage Preservation Services for the proposed Conservation Plan and has obtained the Heritage Permit – necessary for the release of all Building Permits.
The York Memorial project is funded through both the Ministry of Education approved funding and the Insurance coverage.