A new 6,500 m2 (about the size of two soccer fields) community space is coming to Spadina Pier, located at 539 Queens Quay W. in the Bathurst Quay neighbourhood. The improvements are happening in three stages, which include a feasibility study, a Park in Progress (a park open for a range of public uses and programming before the full community space is built), followed by the development of a long-term plan for a permanent waterfront destination.
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Timelines are subject to change.
Stage 3 will start after the Stage 2 improvements are completed. Community engagement on visitor experience will continue to help inform the permanent design for the new community space.
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This project has been classified as an Involve project based on the International Association of Public Participation Spectrum. This means we work directly with the public, stakeholders, and rightsholders throughout the design process to ensure that ideas and aspirations are understood and considered in the design process.
In this phase, the project team will collect feedback to develop a draft vision for the new community space, which will guide the development of design options in Community Engagement Phase 2.
The community engagement activities in this phase include:
On May 26, a pop-up event took place at Spadina Pier where approximately 150 people of various ages and backgrounds shared ideas on potential park uses and programming opportunities.
Download the May 2024 pop-up summary.
On September 23, a pop-up event took place at Spadina Pier during Nuit Blanche to collect ideas on potential park uses and programming opportunities. Over 150 people of various ages and backgrounds participated. The project team shared information about the project and collected feedback.
Download the September 2023 pop-up summary.
In this phase, the project team will use the outcomes of Community Engagement Phase 1 to develop design options for the Park in Progress. This will be presented to the community for feedback, which will be used to inform the preferred design for the Park in Progress.
The anticipated outcome of this phase is the development of a preferred design.
In this phase, the City will share the preferred design with the community on this page. The project team will then move into the detailed design phase, which includes finalizing the design by working through the technical details and developing detailed plans and drawings for the construction contractor.
The anticipated outcome of this phase is a refined preferred design.
The new public space at Spadina Pier will be located at the southern terminus of Dan Leckie Way, which connects Toronto’s Inner Harbour with high-density downtown neighbourhoods. The opportunity for a new public space at Spadina Pier was identified in the 2017 City Council-approved Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Plan (BQNP), with subsequent City Council direction in July 2022 to develop and implement a plan to deliver public realm improvements at the site. Implementation of the BQNP started in 2019 at the adjacent Canada Malting property as Bathurst Quay Common.
On July 19, 2022, City Council directed the development of a strategy for park and public space improvements at Spadina Pier. Technical and environmental studies followed in fall 2022. In summer 2023, the below-grade parking garage at Spadina Pier was permanently closed. The Marina Quay West marina, managed by Harbourfront Centre, will remain open during construction.
The Spadina Pier improvements will be delivered in three stages.
Stage 1 includes a feasibility study to assess and evaluate requirements for the conversion of the parking garage into future parkland.
Stage 2 includes site investment and upgrades to deliver a Park in Progress – a new community space for public use and programming on the existing waterfront promenade and pier. The Park in Progress is expected to be open until construction for the permanent community space begins. Community and stakeholder engagement will help determine a range of interim uses and programming.
Stage 2 improvements include:
Stage 3 is anticipated in the future after Stage 2 improvements are completed. Stage 3 includes the development of a long-term plan for a permanent waterfront destination. Community feedback on visitor experience at the Park in Progress will be collected to inform the future design.
Built in the 1980s, Spadina Pier was originally constructed by a Federal government development corporation as a commercial parking operation and as a break wall for the Marina Quay West marina. The parking and marina have historically been operated by Harbourfront Centre. Ownership of the Spadina Pier property was transferred from the Federal government to the City of Toronto in the early 1990s, while the adjacent Portland Slip and Spadina Quay water lots were transferred to City ownership in 2018.
