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After over four decades at Toronto's Bay and Bloor, the mixed-use Manulife Centre complex is undergoing a $100 million renewal project that began in mid-2017. The project will bring a Moed de Armas & Shannon and B+H Architects-designed addition to the base of the 1975-built complex, to feature 35,000 ft² of additional retail space and a 50,000 ft² Giannone Petricone-designed Eataly location, marking the first Canadian location for the international Italian food hall chain.
We last checked in on construction back in February, when the addition's steel-framed structure had begun to take shape along Bloor and Balmuto Street frontages. In the months since, work on the addition's steel skeleton has progressed along both of those streets. Most recently, the first panels of curtainwall glazing have appeared at the corner of this intersection, and now offer a clearer picture of how the addition will look upon completion.
Meanwhile, over at the west side of the complex along Bay Street, the signage and entry area are being dismantled for the Indigo bookstore just south of Bloor. The steel addition taking shape around the corner along Bloor will eventually fill in a portion of this frontage's pedestrian realm as well, bringing the bookstore's rebuilt entrance closer to the street.
The ground-floor expansion will meet the street with an enhanced public realm design by B+H Architects, while the office building above will benefit from new lobby spaces with interiors by GH+A Design. Construction is targeted to wrap up in 2019. No date during that year has been announced yet for the opening of Eataly nor the other revitalized retail spaces.
Additional information and images can be found in our database file for the Manulife Centre, 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.
