Ontario Construction News staff writer
The City of Toronto has selected Kilmer Group and Tricon Residential (Kilmer-Tricon) as the preferred proponents for the redevelopment of 610 Bay St. and 130 Elizabeth St., the site of the decommissioned Toronto Coach Terminal. The redevelopment will include affordable housing, a new Toronto Paramedic Services hub, and commercial space designed to support innovation in the city’s Discovery District.
Construction is expected to begin in 2025, with completion and leasing of rental units at 610 Bay St. projected for the first quarter of 2029 and at 130 Elizabeth St. by the first quarter of 2030.
Ken Tanenbaum, vice-chairman of Kilmer Group, said, “We’re thrilled to partner with the City of Toronto and CreateTO on this landmark redevelopment. This is a major opportunity to deliver much-needed affordable housing, a paramedics hub, and commercial space to support the Discovery District, all while revitalizing an important heritage asset.”
The properties were selected for redevelopment under Toronto’s ModernTO program, a city initiative launched in 2019 aimed at transforming underutilized City-owned sites into vibrant, mixed-income communities.
“We need to build more affordable homes in Toronto. I’m pleased this project will transform the former Toronto Coach Terminal into a thriving community hub with rental housing, healthcare facilities, and space for small businesses to grow,” said Mayor Olivia Chow. “This project sets a high bar for building homes while preserving our city’s history and embracing Indigenous knowledge.”
The redevelopment will feature two towers with a mix of residential, retail, and public space. The 100-per-cent purpose-built rental development will include 873 new homes, of which 290 will be affordable rental units. The design for the site, led by award-winning architectural firms Studio Gang, architects-Alliance, and Smoke Architecture, incorporates the Indigenous principle of the Seven Directions. Landscape design by CCxA will create green, tree-lined public spaces connecting surrounding neighbourhoods.
“The Toronto Coach Terminal has always been a place of connections,” said Vic Gupta, CEO of CreateTO. “We are proud to see this historic building redeveloped as part of a mixed-use community that will enhance the downtown core and improve Toronto’s livability.”
Project highlights:
- Heritage preservation: The adaptive reuse of the Toronto Coach Terminal and its bus bays will preserve the site’s historical significance.
- Paramedic hub: A 23,000-square-foot Toronto Paramedic Services hub will provide emergency medical support to surrounding communities.
- Healthcare partnerships: University Health Network plans to operate a state-of-the-art organ repair centre for heart, lung, kidney, and liver transplants, while affordable housing partnerships will provide housing options for essential hospital workers and their families.
- Public plaza: A new public plaza between the two towers will offer an urban oasis with a series of ‘outdoor rooms’ for the community to enjoy.
- Sustainability: The project will incorporate a geothermal district energy system and sustainable design, exceeding Toronto’s Green Standard and achieving Zero Carbon Building Design Certification.
Andrew Joyner, managing director at Tricon Residential, added, “We are proud to partner with the City of Toronto to increase rental housing supply in the Discovery District. Kilmer-Tricon has a proven track record of delivering innovative, large-scale rental communities, and this project will add new affordable units to one of Toronto’s most important health and technology clusters.”
