The ongoing redevelopment of St Michael’s Hospital in Downtown Toronto is centred on improving the health facility's delivery of urgent care in a future-proof design. Located on the block bounded by Queen, Bond, Shuter, and Victoria streets in Toronto’s downtown core, the new Shuter Wing currently under construction is an expansion of St Michael’s Emergency Department, one of only two Level 1 Trauma Centres in the Greater Toronto Area. Designed by NORR Architects & Engineers for Unity Health Toronto, the wing has site plan approval for six storeys, though only the below ground levels and first two storeys are under construction now, with the rest pending future funding. 

Looking southeast to the rendering of the six-storey plan for the St Michael's Hospital Emergency Department Redevelopment, designed by NORR Architects & Engineers Limited for Unity Health Toronto

In this April, 2024 view below, excavation for the three underground levels had made way for crane installation the previous month. The shoring walls are lined with orange tarps, while The windows of older adjacent hospital wings are boarded up in anticipation of the new building to come while formwork for columns and other materials are in place throughout the work area. A concrete mixer truck is seen on Bond Street to the left. 

Looking south from Shuter Street to toward the excavation and recently installed tower crane, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Northern Light

Over the course of eleven months, by March, 2025, the image below shows progress at Gate 2 on Shuter Street, framed by temporary hoarding. Behind it, the new Shuter Wing rises above grade, with the ground floor structural frame in place and curtainwall installation underway along the north elevation. The glazing system features dark-tinted panels set within vertical mullions. Behind the emerging structure, a second crane is visible to the south, in use for renovation activity on the adjacent Bond Wing.

Looking south to glazing installed for the first floor along the north elevation, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor bcmc

This April, 2025 view looking west across an adjacent surface aprking lot captures the dismantling of the crane using a telescopic and hydraulic mobile crane, the boom of which extends above the worksite. Glazing installation appears complete across the first two storeys of the new Shuter Wing, with a partial third level enclosed as well. The curtainwall assembly contrasts with exposed concrete formwork and temporary hoarding where the new building interfaces with the red-brick masonry of the Bond Wing to the south. 

A mobile crane dismantles the tower crane, looking east, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor bcmc

Looking southeast from Shuter Street this month, the new space for St Michael’s Hospital Emergency Department exapnsion shows glazing now fully installed on the first and second floors, while another partial third level area is also enclosed above. Steel framing is progressing along the western portion of the third floor, marking the upper extent of the current build phase. At upper right is the cylindrical glass-and-steel pedestrian bridge linking the main hospital building to the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute on the north side of Shuter. 

Curtainwall installation progress at the northwest corner of the site, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Northern Light

Captured from the northeast corner of Bond and Shuter streets, this wide view showcases the curtainwall across the north and east elevations. Atop the ends of both elevations, weatherproofing and exposed steel framing are visible behind partially installed glass panels, marking the outline of the third-storey shell that remains unfitted. Work to renovate the Bond Wing contunes below its crane to the left.

Looking southwest to the glazing across the north and east elevations, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Northern Light

Though the new Shuter Wing currently tops out at two storeys, the building envelope includes partial construction of a third floor and is fully designed to support up to 17 storeys as additional funding becomes available, even if an extension to just six floors is the next step envisioned. With exterior glazing now largely complete, work is shifting to interior fit-out ahead of an anticipated Spring 2026 opening.

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:  ERA Architects, Janet Rosenberg & Studio, LEA Consulting, NORR Architects & Engineers Limited, RWDI Climate and Performance Engineering