TORONTO, Oct. 16 /CNW/ -- The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and Infrastructure Ontario announced today that Carillion Health Solutions is the preferred proponent selected to design, build, finance and maintain Phase 1B of CAMH's capital redevelopment project. As the preferred proponent, Carillion Health Solutions is in the process of negotiating a final contract with CAMH and Infrastructure Ontario.

Phase 1B of CAMH's 27-acre redevelopment project will provide a change from the institutional campus at 1001 Queen St. West and bring CAMH one step closer towards its vision of providing high-quality and integrated mental health and addiction care in a revitalized urban village.

This phase will dramatically transform the site with the demolition of the existing administration building on Queen Street West and the construction of three new state-of-the art buildings: the Intergenerational Wellness Centre, the CAMH Gateway Building, and the Utilities and Parking building.

The new Intergenerational Wellness Centre will include:
-   12 new beds - the first of their kind in Canada - dedicated to youth
dealing with both mental illness and addictions issues; and
-   the Geriatric Mental Health Program, which combines 48 in-patient
beds with a suite of outpatient programming and supports.

The CAMH Gateway Building will house outpatient services, key central clinical services, and administrative functions. The Utilities and Parking Building combines a new central plant and parking.

This project will create hundreds of construction jobs and spur economic activities across the Greater Toronto Area.

"We're closer than ever to transforming CAMH and creating a community setting in downtown Toronto " said Dr. Paul Garfinkel, CAMH President and CEO. This project will help to improve the quality of life of our clients and contribute to revitalizing our neighbourhood."

The selection of Carillion Health Solutions is the result of an extensive evaluation process which followed a request for proposals process that began in January 2009. The Carillion Health Solutions team includes Vanbots a division of Carillion Canada Inc. Carillion Canada FM services, Stantec Architecture, Scotia Capital.

Following successful negotiations with Carillion Health Solutions, the project is expected to reach commercial close and financial close in December 2009, which will mean that relevant contracts have been signed, a financing rate has been set, the project's cost are finalized, and funds have been made available for the project. Project costs will be announced publicly following financial close of the project.