Work is wrapping up for RioCan REIT's Bathurst College Centre, under construction just south of the Downtown Toronto intersection for which it is named. The first retail units are now open at the 150,000 ft² Turner Fleischer Architects-designed project, which will eventually bring 80,000 ft² of retail and 70,000 ft² of office space to the area.

The building has been structurally complete since Summer 2018, and over the months since, installation of exterior details has brought the project closer to the look advertised in pre-construction renderings. The building's exterior finishes are now in place, other than at the south end of the site where some remain to be applied.

Looking southwest to Bathurst College Centre, image by Forum contributor drum118

The project’s retail and commercial units are in varying stages of completion, with the street-fronting Basil Box restaurant and a new Scotiabank branch being the first units to open along the Bathurst Street frontage. Other confirmed retail tenants for the project include Winners, while the University Health Network (UHN) is set to occupy the office space above. Though not listed by RioCan as a confirmed tenant on their website, signage for a FreshCo supermarket is now visible in some windows.

Looking northwest to Bathurst College Centre, image by Forum contributor drum118

At the rear of the site, a series of living wall sections have been installed facing College Place, a laneway which runs along the west edge of the development and which serves garages of homes on Markham Street. This is the first large scale outdoor living wall we know of installed in Toronto, taking the form of metal screens perforated by holes into which greenery has been planted. Homeowners on Markham facing the wall will no doubt be anxious to see the plantings succeed. The green wall sections break up what would otherwise have been a monolithic brick wall.

Living wall sections at Bathurst College Centre, image by Forum contributor drum118

Additional information and images can be found in our database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.

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