Some info from the virtual open house hosted on April 6. I think the biggest news is that the overbuild park will open "in the coming weeks":
CIBC SQUARE Community Open House Recap
Community Update – Virtual Open House Summary
In April, we held a virtual open house to share updates related to the completion and operations of 81 Bay Street, as well as construction progress of the overbuild park and Phase II at 141 Bay Street. Below is a brief re-cap of the information shared at the virtual open house.
81 Bay Street
The Metrolinx GO Bus Terminal at 81 Bay Street has been operational since December 2020, and the tower at 81 Bay Street completed and occupied since Q1 2021. The tower is leased and operational with COVID protocols in place.
Construction of the food hall is currently targeted for completion in the coming weeks while opening of the food hall to the tenants and the public will be established over the coming months. Once open, the food hall will include a mix of food and beverage kiosks as well as a central bar, a restaurant space, and a coffee kiosk. We look forward to sharing more details in the coming months.
Overbuild Park
The southern portion of the park (attached to 81 Bay Street) is expected to open in the coming weeks, while the northern portion of the park remains under construction with target completion in late 2024, aligning with the opening of 141 Bay Street. Construction work in the park continues to take place between 12 a.m. and 5 a.m. as it requires access to the Metrolinx rail corridor – for safety, workers are not permitted in the rail corridor while trains are in operation.
Once operational, the park will feature programming like live music, yoga, art installations and holiday markets, with more robust programming added once the full park is complete.
141 Bay Street
Phase II of CIBC SQUARE will feature 1.5 million square feet of rentable space at 141 Bay Street. The building was designed by the same team as 81 Bay, including Wilkinson Eyre as design architects and Adamson Associations as the production architects. In addition to the building, this phase of construction includes a fully-renovated pedestrian laneway and connecting bridges to Union Station and Backstage Condominiums. The estimated completion is late 2024.
What our Neighbours Can Expect
Excavation continues to progress with the construction of 141 Bay, and equipment noise, truck traffic, and mud tracking on the Yonge Street sidewalk can be expected as a result. To mitigate this, our subcontractors are cleaning the road as necessary. A slab will be poured to form a roadway in and out of the site and once complete, deliveries will enter the site via Bay Street and exit to Yonge Street, reducing impact on road traffic. Overnight work will also continue, taking place between 12 a.m. and 5 a.m., as it requires access to the rail corridor below and workers are not permitted in the rail corridor during hours when tracks are being used by trains.
Current working hours at CIBC SQUARE:
- Regular working hours: 7 AM – 7 PM, Monday – Friday.
- Overnight work in the rail corridor: 10 PM – 5 AM, Monday to Saturday.
- Saturday working hours: 9 AM – 7 PM
Frequently Asked Questions:
Below are questions frequently asked related to the CIBC SQUARE development. If you have additional questions, please reach out to us at
community@CIBCSQUARE.com – we’d be happy to connect.
- Q: What restaurants will be in the food hall at 81 Bay Street and when will it open?
- A: Leasing for the food hall is in progress with some vendors beginning their own construction within the space. The food hall will offer an impressive and varied selection for building employees and the public and we’re excited to share the space with the community, and tenants of CIBC SQUARE over the coming months.
- Q: What is being planned for Phase II construction at CIBC SQUARE?
- A: 141 Bay Street will add 1.5 million square feet of office space in a 50-storey premier office tower, anchored by incoming tenant CIBC. The new building will be connected to Phase I of CIBC SQUARE (81 Bay Street) by an elevated public park that bridges across the rail corridor. Planned public realm improvements as part of the 141 Bay development include two pedestrian bridges connecting across Bay Street directly into Union Station and across Yonge Street directly into Backstage Condominiums, as well as a fully renovated pedestrian laneway connecting Yonge Street and Bay Street.
- Q: What is the construction timeline for Phase II?
- A: Work on the site of 141 Bay started in December 2020 with the demolition of the old GO bus terminal. To date, we have completed the majority of the shoring and excavation work and have started work on the building’s foundation progressing towards the tower’s above grade elements. Construction of the second half of the park, the new tower and podium are expected to be complete in late 2024.
- Q: When will overnight work end?
- A: Right now, the overbuild park is estimated to be completed in 2024, but this work will be phased over time. Overnight work remains necessary for the construction because we are building in an active rail corridor. When overnight construction is necessary, we are committed to completing the work as quickly as possible and keeping our neighbours informed.
- Q: Where will the entrances for the park be?
- A: There will be 2 stair access points to the park (one via 81 Bay and the other via the pedestrian laneway). From inside the buildings, the park can also be accessed by taking an escalator or elevator to the 4th floor.