Don Fontaine (right), a construction supervisor, shows blueprints for 80 Hayden St. to Gailsie Stewart (left), a financial management and development staffer, and Leanne Larmondin, Anglican Journal editor.
Toronto
The outer walls on the first four floors of 80 Hayden St. in Toronto are up and some have been given a touch of paint; concrete floors are firm, awaiting the finishing touches of hardwood or carpet, and stairs are in place.
Still the much-awaited move of the national church’s office to this new address, tentatively scheduled this month, won’t happen until “possibly the spring of 2004,” according to construction supervisors who were on site when some church staff, including the Anglican Journal, recently toured the new quarters.
General Secretary Jim Boyles said the developer has asked for “more time” to do the finishing touches. “There’s no definite date” yet for the move, he added.
Much work remains to be done on the building ? electric cables and water pipes still protrude from ceilings waiting to be covered up, bathroom fixtures have yet to be installed, staircases await their banisters, and the elevators are not yet operational.
More bad news: Even if the first four floors which Church House (the informal name of the national church office) will occupy are declared in move-in condition, no permit to move will be issued by city officials until the entire 21-storey structure ? all the way up to the roof deck ? is fully finished and inspected.
The permit will be issued only after city engineers and other officials conduct a thorough inspection. The inspection to make sure that approved construction specifications have been strictly followed and all safety precautions are in place normally takes a week, according to Don Fontaine, interior supervisor for the commercial area of the building, which is being constructed by the Philmor Group.
The good news is that construction ? delayed for three months because of technical difficulties involving pipes ? is moving at a more desirable pace, according to Philmor Group’s Umberto Ciarafoni, who gave the tour.
The new General Synod address will be: 80 Hayden St., Toronto, ON, M4Y 3G2. The main telephone number remains the same at 416-924-9199, as do all other phone numbers, extensions, fax numbers and e-mail addresses.
For information about the move, contact General Secretary Jim Boyles at extension 280 or General Synod treasurer Jim Cullen at extension 338. Information about the Anglican Book Centre may be obtained from general manager Dan Benson at extension 226