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On the heels of UrbanToronto’s highlight of the Corktown Transit-Oriented Community (TOC) along the under-construction Ontario Line 3, today the spotlight pivots to plans at the future western terminus station. The program will bring mixed-use developments capitalizing on the enhanced accessibility of these sites, as seen in our coverage on Eastern Avenue, Thorncliffe Park, Gerrard-Carlaw, Cosburn, and Pape stations' TOCs. Located in Toronto’s Liberty Village, the Exhibition Station TOC will be immediately north of a rebuilt station that integrates the future Ontario Line terminus with the Lakeshore West GO line station.
Nestled along the southern edge of the Liberty Village Employment Area, the Exhibition TOC, conceptually designed by SvN for Infrastructure Ontario, would directly integrate with the rebuilt station. Comprising 1 Jefferson Avenue and 2-20 Atlantic Avenue, the rectangular Jefferson Site to the west envelops approximately 4,742m². It currently hosts a two-storey former industrial building repurposed for office use. Conversely, the eastern Atlantic Site at 1 and 1A Atlantic Avenue offers an irregularly shaped 4,777m², currently housing a converted warehouse now bustling with commercial activities.
The Jefferson Site proposal calls for a U-shaped complex with two 19-storey (71.9m) towers, housing 303 residential units. Central to its concept design is the integration of a transit hall that provides seamless access to the transit station situated south of the site.
Of the Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 38,008m², the proposed development allocates approximately 23,354m² for residential use, coupled with 10,428m² dedicated to office spaces and 4,226m² for retail. Residents would have access to 715m² of indoor and 559m² of outdoor amenities. With four elevators dedicated to the retail and office spaces across the first eight storeys, and two elevators per residential tower, there would be approximately 1 elevator for every 76 units, indicating quick service. A bridge over a new street to the south of the buildings would, besides giving access to the transit station, would provide pedestrian access to Exhibition Place, Ontario Place, and the terminal for the Harbourfront and Bathurst streetcars.
The Atlantic Site is nestled between Atlantic Avenue and Hanna Avenue, east of the Jefferson Site. The redevelopment plan here proposes 19- and 20-storey buildings, each standing at 72m, housing 265 residential units. The ground and lower levels would be dedicated to retail and office purposes.
With a GFA of 34,846m², the design offers 20,581m² of residential space, complemented by 13,187m² for offices and 1,078m² for retail, along with 730m² of indoor and 413m² of outdoor amenities. The existing pedestrian tunnel would allow pedestrians access to Exhibition station and Exhibition Place to the south. The design integrates commercial activities within the mid-section of the west tower. With four office elevators and two elevators per residential tower, there would be approximately 1 for every 66 units, indicating quick service.
At the Jefferson Site, plans call for three levels of underground garage, offering 112 vehicular parking spots, of which 60 are allocated for residents. For cyclists, provisions call for 285 long-term and 34 short-term bicycle parking spots for residents, alongside 30 long-term and 133 short-term spots for non-residential use. Two levels of underground garage are proposed at the Atlantic Site, with 102 motor vehicle spaces, including 54 for residents. There would also be 300 long-term and 44 short-term bicycle parking spaces for residents, supplemented by 29 long-term and 36 short-term spots for non-residential users.
The development application notes that Liberty Village is a dynamic economic hub with a focus on employment and mixed-use developments. It further notes that surrounding proposals are generally in line with the established built-form context, with this proposal acting as a transition from the taller eastern developments to the shorter ones seen in the Parkdale neighbourhood to the west. North of the site, projects include the proposed 7-storey 7-15 Fraser Avenue, 58 Atlantic Avenue at 10 storeys, and The Castle at 41 Fraser Avenue at 11 storeys.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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| Related Companies: | HDR, SvN |
