A wave of new developments are being planned in Toronto’s West Don Lands area, building off of the neighbourhood’s successful initial buildout for the 2015 Pan Am Games. Among the most recent proposals is on Block 10, to be known as the Toronto Indigenous Hub. A mix of uses will be found in a cluster of buildings at the southeast corner of Cherry and Front streets, with the block’s two phases detailed in a September application for Site Plan Approval. 

Aerial view looking east over Block 10 of the West Don Lands, image via submission to City of Toronto

Quadrangle is responsible for the overall site planning of the project. Phase A is a four-storey Indigenous Community Health Centre designed by Stantec that will be managed by Anishnawbe Health Toronto. Phase B includes a five-storey training, education, and employment building that will be managed by Miziwe Biiq, and 13-storey and 11-storey mixed-use condominium and rental residential buildings — all designed by Quadrangle for DREAM Unlimited, the Kilmer Group, and Tricon. Two Row Architect is providing Indigenous design consulting services for the entire complex. 

Looking northeast to Block 10 of the West Don Lands, image via submission to City of Toronto

Facing Cherry Street, the Anishnawbe Health Centre will contain a mix of healthcare and childcare uses. The building is to be finished in a mix of perforated aluminum panels, precast concrete, cedar clad concrete, aluminum panels, Corten steel fins, wood soffit, and a mix of window wall and curtainwall glazing. Touches of brick would help to tie the modern design in with the context of nearby heritage buildings.

Anishnawbe Health Centre, image via submission to City of Toronto

To the north of the health centre is to be the five-storey training, education, and employment building, and to its north is the heritage Canary building. Built in 1859 as the Palace Street School, it later became the Cherry Street Hotel before becoming known for the Canary Restaurant in the 1960s. It is to be restored and adaptively reused to plans prepared by ERA Archtects and Quadrangle for use as retail space on the ground floor and offices above. 

Block 10 of the West Don Lands, image via submission to City of Toronto

The eastern two thirds of the block including the southern edge will be where the residential buildings are located, designed to complement both modern and heritage buildings in the area. 340 m² of retail space will also be found at ground level at the corner of Front and Cooperage.

Block 10 of the West Don Lands, image via submission to City of Toronto

The condominium building will rise at the north end of the block facing Front Street, part of it hovering over the Canary building at its base, while the rental would rise at the south end of the block facing Mill Street. The southern two thirds of the residential frontage along Cooperage Street on the east side of the block will be the rental units, while the northern third will be the condos: there will be no distinction from the exterior as to where the one tenure switches to the other. The rental building will include 238 units while the condominium building will house 205 units. 

Additional information and images for the proposal can be found in our Database file, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment below.

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