The University of Toronto’s annual deferred maintenance report details a staggering number of required repairs for many buildings across all three campuses. Some structures have accumulated up to $50 million in deferred maintenance costs.
Administrative and academic buildings are rated on the Facility Condition Index (FCI). Buildings with an FCI of 10 per cent or more are considered to be in poor condition. The university’s combined FCI is 13.4 per cent, down from last year’s figure of 14.1 per cent. The average FCI across the Council of Ontario Universities is 11 per cent.
The majority of buildings in need of maintenance are located on UTSG, where 72 out of 104 buildings that were audited are considered to be in poor condition. UTM has the most buildings in excellent condition with nine out of 14 audited falling under that category. UTSC has more buildings in excellent and fair condition than those in poor. For the second year in a row, St. George’s Mary Hall carries the largest FCI of 52.1 per cent.
The report states that over the past five years, FCIs across all three campuses have been either flat or on the decline; it goes on to say that internal and provincial funding allows U of T to maintain or improve the condition of the buildings audited in the report.
Buildings are placed into one of three categories: priority one items are those that should be rectified within the next year; priority two items are those that should be addressed in one to three years; and priority three items should be addressed in the next three to five years. UTSG has accumulated $23,273,777 in priority one deferred maintenance costs, while UTM sits at $2,490,750, and UTSC at $107,607.
During this fiscal year, $18,730,000 has been spent in major projects to improve buildings in serious need of repair. The report concludes that funding for maintenance will allow for the improvement of building conditions, although it will not be sufficient to solve all of the present issues.
The Medical Sciences Building — St. George
The Medical Sciences Building is the the most recently audited building on the St. George Campus and is home to U of T’s Faculty of Medicine. It carries a deferred maintenance cost of $54,593,261 and an FCI of 16.9 per cent.
The Science Wing — UTSC
UTSC’s Science Wing carries a deferred maintenance cost of $24,848,394 and an FCI of 18.2 per cent. The report does not specify when the next audit of the building will be; it only indicates that the most recent audit was in the 2010–2011 year.
The Galbraith Building — St. George
The Galbraith Building is part of the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering and was completed in 1960. It currently houses the office of the registrar and first year office for the faculty, as well as the Department of Civil Engineering. It carries a deferred maintenance cost of $20,801,508, and its FCI is 51.5 per cent.
The Kaneff Centre for Management and Social Science — UTM
The Kaneff Centre houses the business, commerce, and management programs at UTM, as well as the campus Blackwood Gallery. The building was expanded in 2011. Its deferred maintenance cost is relatively low at $1,626,215, but it carries a 23.4 per cent FCI, the largest at UTM.
Sidney Smith Hall — St. George
The central building of the Faculty of Arts & Science, carries a deferred maintenance cost of $27,795,964 and an FCI of 44.1 per cent. Both numbers are lower than the previous audit.
