WSIB 'actively looking' for new head office site in London: President

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The move of a major Ontario government office to London is underway.

Officials of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board were in London this week touring sites as they prepare to move workers from downtown Toronto to London, said Jeffery Lang, the board’s president and chief executive.

WSIB officials, including Lang, looked at several sites in the city, including three downtown, he said.

“We are in a position now where we are posting for jobs in London and some are being relocated already” into WSIB’s existing space in the Talbot Centre on Fullarton Street, Lang said.

“We are actively looking at real estate in London, a few sites. It is happening. As a Londoner I am thrilled we are coming to London.”

WSIB is looking for more than 100,000 square feet (9,000 square metres) of space as it expands its presence here by the end of 2023, adding about 200 workers, Lang said.

WSIB now has about 780,000 square feet (70,000 square metres) of office space on Front Street in downtown Toronto in a building it owns. Though more than 3,000 work at WSIB across Toronto, it is unlikely all of those positions will move to London because the workplace insurer will maintain a smaller Toronto office and other staff will continue to work from home, Lang said.

“We don’t need to be there in some of the most expensive real estate in the country. There are lower-cost options. We don’t have to be in Toronto,” he said.

“We won’t need 780,000 square feet, but we are really excited about this move. It will take time. It will be good for the city. We will have a presence here.”

The move will bring “high-paying jobs” to London, Lang said.

In April, Monte McNaughton, Ontario’s labour minister and an area MPP, announced the government planned to move the WSIB head office to London over a four-year period.

A recent report by commercial realty firm CBRE said London’s downtown has an office vacancy rate of more than 25 per cent — about one million square feet (90,000 square metres) of office space downtown that is available.

“This could be a very, very positive thing for the core,” said Brent Rudell, Southwestern Ontario vice-president for Cushman Wakefield, a commercial realty firm.

“I believe the core has so much potential, there is so much opportunity.”

But he quickly added much more work is needed to address issues of homelessness, addiction and poverty hurting the downtown.

“The city has to do more. Businesses are struggling because of homelessness, poverty and drug-related issues,” Rudell said.

Barbara Maly, executive director of Downtown London, the agency representing merchants in the core, said that since January, 45 businesses have opened downtown and 17 have closed, a net gain of 28 new street-front merchants.

“I have no confirmation (of WSIB moving here), but that is great news,” she said. “The city’s official plan wants office and government agencies downtown. From a merchants’ point of view, this is nothing but good news. We all want more workers in the core.”

ndebono@postmedia.com