Reimagining the Toronto Coach Terminal Site at 610 Bay Street

On November 21, 2024, CreateTO, on behalf of the City of Toronto, announced the Kilmer Group and Tricon Residential (Kilmer-Tricon) as the preferred proponent team to reimagine the ModernTO site at 610 Bay Street and 130 Elizabeth Street, the former home of the Toronto Coach Terminal. 

The redevelopment will include:

• 873 purpose-built rental housing units (290 units affordable);

• A new Toronto Paramedics Multi-Hub;

• A new organ repair centre for heart, lung and liver transplants;

• Adaptive re-use of the heritage bus terminal and bus shed; and

• Significant public realm improvements including a new public plaza

The development, designed by award-winning architecture firm Studio Gang, will consist of two towers, 16-storeys and 41-storeys, with residential, retail and community elements, separated by a public plaza that will restore connections between the surrounding neighbourhoods. The design of the development is rooted in the Indigenous principle of the Seven Directions while celebrating the historical importance and character of the iconic Art Deco Coach Terminal.

610 Bay Street will include much-needed rental homes in the heart of the city within walking distance of the TTC subway. The development will be 100 per cent purpose-built rentals with 873 new units, including 290 affordable rentals. 130 Elizabeth Street will include a new 23,000 sq. ft. Toronto Paramedics Services Multi-Use Hub. Kilmer-Tricon is also partnering with the University Health Network which plans to operate a state-of-the-art organ repair centre that will increase the capacity to supply organs for transplants and save lives.

There will be significant improvements to the public realm, which will include a new public plaza, designed by CCxA, and is imagined as an urban oasis that will incorporate a series of “outdoor rooms” nestled between green vegetation. The redevelopment will deliver sustainability by achieving Version 4, Tier 2 of the Toronto Green Standard and the Canadian Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Building Design Certification.

CreateTO led the market offering for the site and was part of the team to determine a preferred proponent for the development. In June 2022, CreateTO, on behalf of the City of Toronto, announced a shortlist of seven preferred proponents selected through a Request for Expression of Interest (REOI) for the redevelopment of these ModernTO sites. The proponents shortlisted in the first stage of the two-stage market offering process were invited to respond to a Request for Proposal (RFP), with the selection of a successful proponent now awarded.

Community engagement for 610 Bay and 130 Elizabeth Street was conducted by CreateTO in summer 2022. To honour the heritage of the site, CreateTO also facilitated a photographer to showcase portraits filling the building’s windows taken from 1974 – 1975 of the hustle and bustle of the bus terminal.

Together with our City partners, CreateTO developed the ModernTO program and identified the eight high-value sites to be redeveloped for city-building purposes. These eight properties have an estimated market value of $450 million. It is anticipated that the majority of the value will be invested into city-building benefits, while a portion will be allocated to the Land Acquisition Reserve Fund (LARF). By repurposing these sites, the City is able to explore how it can make better use of public land to create more livable and vibrant communities.

Across the portfolio of eight sites, the ModernTO plan proposes to deliver between 500 to 600 affordable rental and ownership homes in prime downtown and midtown locations. The plan also proposes to deliver infrastructure and service improvements, new institutional and civic spaces, while contributing funds towards future strategic land acquisitions.

610 Bay Street and 130 Elizabeth Street is anticipated to start construction beginning in Q1 2026 with project completion targeted for Q1 2030.