CityPlace, Toronto
Encyclopedia
CityPlace is the name given to a large section of former railway land in downtown Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
that has been redeveloped for multi-use purpose. The term has been more recently used for a large up-scale multi-tower condo development in the Harbourfront
district. When completed, this area will be the largest residential development ever created in Toronto
's history. The area is bordered by Bathurst Street to the west, Lake Shore Boulevard to the south, and Front Street to the north and Blue Jays Way and the Rogers Centre
to the east. Cityplace is also a 5-10 minute walk from King Street West and Liberty Village and a 10-20 minute walk from Toronto's financial district. The neighborhood is also home to the Canoe Landing Park designed by famed Canadian writer and artist Douglas Coupland
.
, there had been plans to revitalize this part of downtown. One of them called for the construction of a large television/telecommunications tower as a showcase of Canadian industry, which was realized in the 1970s
with the CN Tower
. Further development took place in the 1980s
, with the 1984 completion of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre
drawing new attention to the area.
With the arrival of new visitors and development of new commercial draws, a fresh master plan was drawn up by the City of Toronto for revitalization of this area. At the same time Via Rail
, the sole remaining occupant of the Spadina Street Yards, relocated their local operations to the newly built Toronto Maintenance Centre in New Toronto
, freeing up the lands necessary for the planned revitalization. Work commenced after the demolition of the last railway buildings with the construction of SkyDome
, which was completed in 1989. At the same time, a new network of roads, parks and infrastructure began to take shape. The project proceeded smoothly until an economic downturn caused many of the development plans to be shelved, and much land stood abandoned until 1997 when construction of the Air Canada Centre
arena commenced. This began the third and final phase of CityPlace which called for a multipupose development of commercial, residential, and retail.
As of 2009, the lands have been nearly completely developed, with the remaining parcels of land soon to see construction.
, the same company that helped revitalize a large section of former Expo 86
lands in Vancouver
.
(*) - denotes estimate
See Concord Pacific Masterplan in External Links
and Union Station
, CityPlace is a very accessible area. The development is also serviced by the Toronto Transit Commission
's 509 Harbourfront
, 510 Spadina, and 511 Bathurst streetcar lines.
In addition, a median is being set aside along Bremner Boulevard, the main thoroughfare through Cityplace, so that it can be used for a streetcar route by the TTC in the future.
developments in the past, CityPlace's lack of interconnectedness with the surrounding city may lead to ghettoization of residents. Others believe community prosperity may be affected by the upward mobility of current purchasers. A lack of large units deters families from choosing CityPlace as a desirable place to live, threatening to recreate the conditions experienced in St. James Town and Regent Park
. Some, even major figures in the industry, have questioned the sustainability of such large projects.
However, as the debate rages on, proponents with a more optimistic views towards Cityplace's future have cited recent developments such Canoe Landing Park, the rising prestige of the adjacent King West area and other future developments on the horizon in the Toronto Entertainment District as evidence of Cityplace's success.
Downtown Toronto
Downtown Toronto is the central business district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is approximately bounded by Bloor Street to the north, Lake Ontario to the south, the Don River to the east, and Bathurst Street to the west...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
that has been redeveloped for multi-use purpose. The term has been more recently used for a large up-scale multi-tower condo development in the Harbourfront
Harbourfront
Harbourfront is a neighbourhood on the northern shore of Lake Ontario within the downtown core of the city of Toronto, Canada. Part of the Toronto Waterfront, Harbourfront extends west from Yonge Street to Bathurst Street along Queen's Quay. East of Yonge to Parliament St...
district. When completed, this area will be the largest residential development ever created in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
's history. The area is bordered by Bathurst Street to the west, Lake Shore Boulevard to the south, and Front Street to the north and Blue Jays Way and the Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
to the east. Cityplace is also a 5-10 minute walk from King Street West and Liberty Village and a 10-20 minute walk from Toronto's financial district. The neighborhood is also home to the Canoe Landing Park designed by famed Canadian writer and artist Douglas Coupland
Douglas Coupland
Douglas Coupland is a Canadian novelist. His fiction is complemented by recognized works in design and visual art arising from his early formal training. His first novel, the 1991 international bestseller Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, popularized terms such as McJob and...
.
History
CityPlace was originally conceived as a way to revitalize what was Canadian National's former Spadina Street Yard Facility. Going as far back as 1965, when CN began to shift the functions of many of its yards in the Greater Toronto Area to a centralized facility in the northern suburb of VaughanVaughan, Ontario
Vaughan is a city in York Region north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Vaughan is the fastest growing municipality in Canada achieving a population growth rate of 80.2% between 1996–2006, according to Statistics Canada having nearly doubled in population since 1991. Vaughan is located in Southern...
, there had been plans to revitalize this part of downtown. One of them called for the construction of a large television/telecommunications tower as a showcase of Canadian industry, which was realized in the 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
with the CN Tower
CN Tower
The CN Tower is a communications and observation tower in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Standing tall, it was completed in 1976, becoming the world's tallest free-standing structure and world's tallest tower at the time. It held both records for 34 years until the completion of the Burj...
. Further development took place in the 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
, with the 1984 completion of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre
Metro Toronto Convention Centre
Metro Toronto Convention Centre , located in Downtown Toronto, Ontario at 255 Front Street West, has of space. The convention centre was completed in October 1984 and is home to the 1330-seat John Bassett Theatre...
drawing new attention to the area.
With the arrival of new visitors and development of new commercial draws, a fresh master plan was drawn up by the City of Toronto for revitalization of this area. At the same time Via Rail
VIA Rail
Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
, the sole remaining occupant of the Spadina Street Yards, relocated their local operations to the newly built Toronto Maintenance Centre in New Toronto
New Toronto
The historic Town of New Toronto is a neighbourhood in the south-west end of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the south-centre of the former Township of Etobicoke and was an independent municipality from 1913 to 1967, one of the former 'Lakeshore Municipalities'...
, freeing up the lands necessary for the planned revitalization. Work commenced after the demolition of the last railway buildings with the construction of SkyDome
Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
, which was completed in 1989. At the same time, a new network of roads, parks and infrastructure began to take shape. The project proceeded smoothly until an economic downturn caused many of the development plans to be shelved, and much land stood abandoned until 1997 when construction of the Air Canada Centre
Air Canada Centre
The Air Canada Centre is a multi-purpose indoor sporting arena located on Bay Street in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada.The arena is popularly known as the ACC or the Hangar ....
arena commenced. This began the third and final phase of CityPlace which called for a multipupose development of commercial, residential, and retail.
As of 2009, the lands have been nearly completely developed, with the remaining parcels of land soon to see construction.
The current CityPlace development
The current CityPlace development was conceived by Concord Adex DevelopmentsConcord Pacific Developments
Concord Pacific Developments is a Canadian residential developer and real estate investment firm with focus on projects in Vancouver, BC and Toronto, ON...
, the same company that helped revitalize a large section of former Expo 86
Expo 86
The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo '86, was a World's Fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from Friday, May 2 until Monday, October 13, 1986...
lands in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
.
Project Scope
- Project Size: 44 acres (182 108.5 m2) including a 8 acre (32 375 m2) community park. 7500 residential units upon completion.
- Residential development is divided into 10 street blocks, numbered from 1 to 10. Each street block contains a number of residential towers with its own sets of common facilities.
- Block 1 was developed first with 4 towers, namely Matrix A/B and Apex C/D, all with Front Street West addresses. The street block features buildings directly facing the entertainment district and the closest walk to the Financial District.
- Block 2 features 1 building (Optima) only, directly behind the Rogers Centre, fronting on Navy Wharf Court. It features a heightened privacy comparing to the other interconnected towers. Both Block 1 and 2 were completed before 2003.
- Block 3 is the largest street block in the entire CityPlace complex, with 4 towers and a mid-rise building, as well as townhouses to decrease the tension of high density development. The project was named Harbour View Estates and was completed in 2006.
- Block 4 features 2 towers and a mid-rise, mirroring the Harbour View Estates both in location and in design. The buildings are named as WestOne, N1/N2 and The Gallery, was completed in late 2007.
- Block 5 contains one tower (Montage), completed in early 2009, and a mid-rise building (Neo), completed in late 2008.
- Block 6 has further progressed in design as trend evolves, with 2 towers and 1 mid-rise, the project is named as Luna.
- Block 7-8 (Parade) Two 38 story towers with a 2 story bridge at floors 28 and 29, 2 podium buildings and 2 mid-rise buildings
- Block 9 An 8 acres (32,374.9 m²) park
- Block 10 will contain the Panorama building with a 7 story podium/mid-rise and a luxury high rise. The high-rise will feature a number of 1500+sqft units with private elevators. Estimated completion for summer 2010.
- Number of Units: over 5,000 residential units to date.
City Place Buildings
| Rank | Name | Height ft |
Floors | Year | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apex | 273 ft (83.2 m) | 28 | 2005 |  |
||
| Apex 2 | 371* | 36 | 2005 | |||
| Harbourview Estates | 402 ft (122.5 m) | 40 | 2006 |  |
||
| Harbourview Estates 2 | 503 ft (153.3 m) | 49 | 2006 | |||
| Harbourview Estates 3 North | 278 ft (84.7 m)* | 26 | 2006 | |||
| Harbourview Estates 3 South | 378 ft (115.2 m)* | 36 | 2006 | |||
| Luna | 413 ft (125.9 m) | 38 | 2009 | |||
| Matrix 1 | 320 ft (97.5 m) | 32 | 2004 |  |
||
| Matrix 2 | 274 ft (83.5 m) | 28 | 2004 | |||
| Montage | 476 ft (145.1 m) | 47 | 2008 |  |
||
| N1 | 425 ft (129.5 m)* | 41 | 2007 | |||
| N2 | 27 | 2009- | ||||
| TCHC Block 31 (separate developer, but within the community) | 434 ft (132.3 m)* | 43 | ||||
| Panorama | 315 ft (96 m)* | 28 | 2009 |  |
||
| Parade East | 366 ft (111.6 m) | 39 | u/c | |||
| Parade West | 418 ft (127.4 m) | 44 | u/c | |||
| West One | 486 ft (148.1 m) | 49 | 2007 |  |
(*) - denotes estimate
See Concord Pacific Masterplan in External Links
Getting Around
With its location nestled between the Gardiner ExpresswayGardiner Expressway
The Frederick G. Gardiner Expressway, colloquially referred to as "the Gardiner", is a municipal expressway in the Canadian province of Ontario, connecting downtown Toronto with its western suburbs...
and Union Station
Union Station (Toronto)
Union Station is the major inter-city rail station and a major commuter rail hub in Toronto, located on Front Street West and occupying the south side of the block bounded by Bay Street and York Street in the central business district. The station building is owned by the City of Toronto, while the...
, CityPlace is a very accessible area. The development is also serviced by the Toronto Transit Commission
Toronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
's 509 Harbourfront
509 Harbourfront
509 Harbourfront is a streetcar route in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission.-History:The Harbourfront LRT, originally designated 604 Harbourfront, began service in 1990...
, 510 Spadina, and 511 Bathurst streetcar lines.
In addition, a median is being set aside along Bremner Boulevard, the main thoroughfare through Cityplace, so that it can be used for a streetcar route by the TTC in the future.
Criticism
Some planners, architects and politicians have questioned the prudence of the development's urban design. Critics have lauded the architectural excellence of the buildings themselves, but believe suburban ideals have been engineered into the streetscape. While not opposed to high density, critics cite the project's isolation as a potential hindrance to the future health of the fledgling community. They believe that as with other Toronto high riseHigh Rise
High Rise is a 1975 novel by J. G. Ballard. It takes place in an ultra-modern, luxury high-rise building.-Plot summary:The building seems to give its well-established tenants all the conveniences and commodities that modern life has to offer: swimming pools, its own school, a supermarket,...
developments in the past, CityPlace's lack of interconnectedness with the surrounding city may lead to ghettoization of residents. Others believe community prosperity may be affected by the upward mobility of current purchasers. A lack of large units deters families from choosing CityPlace as a desirable place to live, threatening to recreate the conditions experienced in St. James Town and Regent Park
Regent Park
Regent Park is a neighbourhood located in Old Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Regent Park is Canada's oldest and largest social housing project; built in the late 1940s. Formerly the centre of the Cabbagetown neighbourhood, it is bounded by Gerrard Street East to the north, River Street to the east,...
. Some, even major figures in the industry, have questioned the sustainability of such large projects.
However, as the debate rages on, proponents with a more optimistic views towards Cityplace's future have cited recent developments such Canoe Landing Park, the rising prestige of the adjacent King West area and other future developments on the horizon in the Toronto Entertainment District as evidence of Cityplace's success.
Remaining Railway Lands
East of Spadina, the former railway lands does not have an official name. The land in this area is occupied by several buildings:- CN TowerCN TowerThe CN Tower is a communications and observation tower in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Standing tall, it was completed in 1976, becoming the world's tallest free-standing structure and world's tallest tower at the time. It held both records for 34 years until the completion of the Burj...
- Rogers CentreRogers CentreRogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
- Metro Toronto Convention CentreMetro Toronto Convention CentreMetro Toronto Convention Centre , located in Downtown Toronto, Ontario at 255 Front Street West, has of space. The convention centre was completed in October 1984 and is home to the 1330-seat John Bassett Theatre...
- InterContinental Toronto CentreInterContinental Toronto CentreThe InterContinental Toronto Centre, formerly L'Hotel CN, was built by the Canadian National Railway in 1984 in Toronto, Ontario as part of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre complex. It was operated by Canadian National Hotels from 1984 to 1988, sold to Crowne Plaza and renamed Crowne Plaza Hotel... - John Street RoundhouseJohn Street RoundhouseJohn Street Roundhouse is a preserved locomotive roundhouse in Toronto, Ontario. Built for the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1929-31 by Anglin-Norcross to replace the earlier John Street roundhouse built in 1897...
- Roundhouse Park, Steam Whistle BrewingSteam Whistle BrewingSteam Whistle Brewing is a brewery in Toronto, Ontario. The company produces a premium pilsner lager packaged in distinctive green glass bottles and a non-twist cap. They only use four natural ingredients: spring water from Caledon, Ontario; hops from Germany; two-row barley; and yeast. In 2004,...
, Leon's Furniture Stores and Toronto Railway Heritage Centre - John Street Pumping Station
- Union Station, Toronto - with tracks and train shed
- Telus TowerTelus TowerTelus Tower, originally named Union Tower, is a 30 storey office tower in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on the south side of the traditionally defined financial district. Anchor tenant Telus will occupy 60 percent of the rentable area....
- Air Canada CentreAir Canada CentreThe Air Canada Centre is a multi-purpose indoor sporting arena located on Bay Street in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada.The arena is popularly known as the ACC or the Hangar ....
and Maple Leaf SquareMaple Leaf SquareMaple Leaf Square, has a twin tower condominium called , an office, retail, entertainment and hotel complex located to the west of the Air Canada Centre in Downtown Toronto...