The Etobicoke Civic Centre (ECC) is a new civic centre in the former suburb of Etobicoke located on a 13.8 acre property bounded by Kipling Avenue to the west, Bloor and Dundas Streets to the north and the TTC/CPR rail corridor to the southeast. The ECC is situated on the Ancestral territory and gathering place of the Anishnaabe, the Haudenosaunee, the Tionontati (Petun), the Wendat and the treaty territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit.
Locally known as the Westwood Theatre Lands and “spaghetti junction,” the notoriously complicated “Six Point Interchange” where Kipling Avenue, Bloor Street and Dundas Street intersect is currently undergoing a major reconfiguration. Situated at the heart of the new community being built, the ECC will replace the existing municipal buildings at 399 The West Mall and incorporate a new civic hub and a civic square.
Following an international competition, design of the Civic Centre was awarded to internationally acclaimed architect, Henning Larsen and Adamson and Associate Architects and PMA Landscape Architects (the “Design Team”). Completion is expected for the 2028. Read more about the project.
As the first civic centre to be built in the last 50 years, the ECC is designed as a mixed-use building comprising of office spaces, including municipal offices and a multi-purpose council chamber, a child care centre, library, public health clinic, recreation centre, retail spaces and a civic square located steps away from a new affordable housing community.
The new ECC is located within the City’s Bloor-Kipling (Six Points) Block Plan, which was proposed as part of the reconfiguration of the former Six Points Interchange, also known as the ‘Spaghetti Junction’. In 2021, Six Points was replaced by a new network of streets, unlocking almost 18 acres of land and creating seven blocks for redevelopment. Besides the new civic centre, the area includes five blocks earmarked for rental housing developments. Approximately 10,340 square metres of parkland is also being created or planned in the area.
The ECC is a mixed-use building comprising a wide range of community focused program and services. The building is arranged in a series of tall volumes towards the north, housing the municipal offices, while the lower floors towards the south contain all the public functions. It will also be compliant to the Toronto Accessibility Design Guidelines (TADG) as a means to extend greater accessibility for all users.
With 508,000 square feet of accessible public-facing space, the new civic centre is the first of its kind to be built in the last 50 years and is designed as a state-of-the-art mixed-used civic hub that includes:
Multiple public artworks are coming to this site. Public art competitions are planned or underway.
After a two-stage national competition, public consultation and an online survey, Jordan Sook’s artwork, love is the space between us & infinity, was selected.
The 4,000-pound art piece will be suspended in the main atrium and will feature a red roller coaster sculpture that was inspired by winding and overlapping roads known as the Spaghetti Junction, a feature previously seen at the former Six Point Interchange.
The work is a metaphor of our humanity: reflecting the unpredictability of life, the overcoming of obstacles and the pursuit of happiness.
The design of the artwork reflects the various functions and spaces within the new building. The movement and flow of the design draws inspiration from the energy of the pool and gymnasium, while its infinite and complex shape is an extension of the library and symbolizes the development of the mind. The depth, power, and robust changing form of the design is indicative of the city council chamber, its offices and the public servants who fill them. Additionally, the shapes in the design connect to the youthfulness and emotions found within the art gallery and childcare centre.
In support of the City’s TransformTO’s climate action plan to reduce emission from buildings and achieve a high level of resiliency, the new ECC is targeting Toronto Green Standards (TGS) Version 3 Tier 4. This site will also feature a below-grade district energy plant that will provide energy to the new civic centre and surrounding development blocks – making this Toronto’s first near zero emissions community.
Etobicoke Centre is one of four city centres identified in the City’s Official Plan to accommodate projected growth. Overall, the new civic centre and surrounding developments will support the evolution of Etobicoke Centre as a vibrant mixed-use transit-oriented community, where the city’s rapid transit network, jobs, housing and services are concentrated.
Photos via Adamson Associates Architects, Henning Larsen and PMA Landscape Architects.