A private developer has begun construction on a unique development near Yonge and Eglinton that includes the rebuilding of a well-known public school.

North Toronto Collegiate Institute has been in desperate need of new facilities for years, so the school board sold some of the school's surplus land to the developer, Tridel, which in return will build a new school as well as two condo towers.

A few years ago, when the school board decided North Toronto needed to be replaced, there was no money available from the provincial government, which would normally pay for schools.

Josh Matlow, the school trustee who helped make this project happen, said the board had to find a way to build a new school without help from Queen's Park.

"We've got to be creative, and frankly I think we'll be on more solid ground if we can demonstrate we're managing our assets well," said Matlow.

Matlow said this will likely become the template for future public projects. Bringing in private developers, he said, may be the only way to get a new school built. He predicts there will be no shortage of developers lining up.

Simon Chu, a Grade 11 student at North Toronto who knows how decrepit the school is, said he's pleased future students won't have to live with the deteriorating facilities.
 
"The new theatre, the bigger field, I think it's going to be great, not just for the students but for the community."

In the city of Toronto, much of the surplus land left to build on is owned by the school board and the city.