Brownfield

When Ontario Place closed its doors after more than 40 years, it wasn't clear what would become of the once-beloved tourist destination. In its heyday, the waterfront attraction had served as a sort of promotional hub for the Province of Ontario based on the Ontario Pavilion at Expo ’67, later adding event spaces like Atlantis, Echo Beach, and Budweiser Stage alongside a water park and amusement rides that made the island a popular destination for school trips and family outings.

But after years of falling attendance, the once-bustling island park was closed in the dead of February 2012 — save for Atlantis, the marina, and the music venues, in a move that was said to save the Province $20 million annually. The park remained closed for more than five years, until the first phase of a revitalization project orchestrated by Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of Infrastructure opened in June 2017.

In contrast to the intensely colourful Mount Dennis mural at Weston Road and Eglinton Avenue West, the abutting Scotiabank branch at 1150 Weston Road doesn’t make much of an impression. But, perhaps surprisingly, it’s a notable building that’s been around for 75 years and on the City of Toronto’s Heritage Register since 2013. Given its heritage significance, a 46-storey development proposal that went to the City at the beginning of July calls for the incorporation of the existing building at its base.

The plans come from a numbered company (2629964 Ontario Inc.), and a representative from Republic Developments tells STOREYS that they are entitling the development "for now." The proposal calls for a height of around 482 feet along with 354,380 sq. feet of gross floor area (GFA), and of the total GFA, 3,390 sq. ft of commercial space is planned in the base of the building. The remainder — around 350,990 sq. ft — is set to be dedicated to the 512 residential units planned.