Ontario Construction News staff writer
Bird Construction Inc. has been awarded the contract to build the new Transportation Safety and Technology Science (TSTS) Hub in Ottawa. The major federal project will consolidate facilities for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) and the National Research Council Canada (NRC).
The TSTS Hub project is one of three new contracts recently secured by Bird, which together total over $525 million, the Mississauga-based company announced Wednesday. The individual value of the TSTS Hub contract was not disclosed.
The new 120,000 sq. ft. structure at 1200 Montreal Rd. (the NRC headquarters campus) in Ottawa will bring together federal scientists and investigators from five separate buildings. It will accommodate over 260 TSB and NRC employees and scientists, offering a modern environment for advancing transportation safety technology, mitigating safety risks for Canadians, and developing sustainable technologies across air, marine, rail, and pipeline transportation sectors.
Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) is overseeing the project. According to project documents, the facility will be a two-storey building featuring office spaces, specialized laboratories (including for destructive testing), support areas, and an outdoor secure compound for large-scale investigations and storage. The construction timeline anticipates site preparation and building activity between 2024 and 2027, with commissioning and occupancy expected in 2027-2028.
The architectural and engineering services contract for the TSTS project was awarded in 2022 to a joint venture of A49 and B&H, with a preliminary schematic design already complete. The selection of Bird Construction advances the project into its construction phase.
“These recent awards in our buildings and infrastructure businesses reflect the sustained demand we’re seeing across our key strategic markets, despite the current economic uncertainty,” said Teri McKibbon, president and CEO of Bird Construction, in a statement. “Furthermore, they reflect the confidence our clients continue to place in Bird as an established and trusted delivery partner, valuing our deep sector experience and collaborative approach to project execution.”
The project is designated under the federal Impact Assessment Act and involves development on an approximately 8.5-hectare site within the National Capital Commission’s Greenbelt.
The TSTS Hub is set to replace several aging TSB and NRC facilities, including the TSB’s current head office in Gatineau, QC, and its existing Engineering Laboratory on Uplands Drive in Ottawa.
