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Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology, which rebranded itself as Seneca Polytechnic in 2023, is advancing work for a new Health & Wellness Centre at its Newnham Campus in the Hillcrest Village area of North York. Rooted in Indigenous principles, the three-storey building is designed by DIALOG and Indigenous firm Two Row Architect. Developed by Seneca Polytechnic with funding contributions from the Seneca Student Federation and Student Athletic Association, the building design targets ambitious sustainability goals.
Newnham Campus is located at 1750 Finch Avenue East, at the northwest corner of Finch and Highway 404 interchange. The sprawling 25,497m² site boasts several buildings, an athletic field, green space, surface parking lots, and one parking garage. The campus is surrounded by a mix of low-rise residential neighbourhoods and high-rise condominium towers, and a commercial plaza.
The Health & Wellness Centre is being built on an interior parcel of the campus just west of the residence building and athletic field. To accommodate the new development, three of the existing buildings — F, G, and H — and a portion of the fourth, totalling 11,344m², have been demolished, with 2,568m² of Building E being retained. The buildings were closed at the end of March, 2024, their functions moved elsewhere on the campus or to other Seneca campuses, and demolition permits were obtained in December, 2024.
Early design concepts — one of which is pictured above — were unveiled in 2023. The project entered the formal planning process with a Pre-Application Consultation held in January, 2025, followed by the submission of a Site Plan Approval application at the end of March. The final design calls for a three-winged facility (including the retained portion of existing Building E), organized around a central drum courtyard. The circular layout draws from Indigenous concepts of balance and unity, with curving volumes extending from an inner ring that frames a ceremonial fire pit, referencing the medicine wheel and drum circle as symbols of healing and connection.
The centre will rise 15m with a total Gross Floor Area of 11,588m², split between 7,587m² on the first level and 4,001m² above. Student-focused programming will include two full-sized gymnasiums, a fitness centre, wellness and counselling offices, multi-purpose rooms, and open collaboration zones. A multi-faith spiritual room and new offices and event space for the Seneca Student Federation are also planned.
A geothermal heating and cooling system will be built beneath the adjacent parking lot, while further sustainability features include mass timber construction, solar energy infrastructure, rainwater harvesting, green roofing, and renewable building materials. No new vehicular parking is proposed, though 30 existing spaces will be removed to accommodate the new landscaping and geothermal field. The application includes 51 bicycle parking spaces, with 11 reserved for long-term use and 40 for short-term visitors.
Don Mills station on Sheppard Line 4 is the closest subway station and can be reached by TTC buses that ply Don Mills Road. The site is also served by Finch and McNicoll avenues, while YRT buses also ply Don Mills Road. Nearby stops include Finch Avenue East at Au Large Boulevard, a five-minute walk away, and Don Mills Road at Finch Avenue East, approximately 850m west. On-street bike lanes can be found on campus along both Au Large Boulevard and Premier Davis Boulevard.
Numerous developments are taking shape around the area, particularly south of the site near Don Mills Road and Sheppard Avenue around Fairview Mall and Don Mills subway station, including towers at 5 Fairview Mall Drive (35 to 47 storeys), 2600 Don Mills Road (42 to 47 storeys), and 2500 Don Mills (43 and 52 storeys), with the Fairview Mall Redevelopment envisioning a 14-tower masterplan rising from 22 to 52 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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