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A massive redevelopment proposal is planned for the historic Richard L. Hearn Generating Station in Toronto’s Port Lands. Dubbed The Hearn District, the redevelopment would incorporate the shuttered power station into a multi-use district to be built over 30 acres by the Cortel Group. With the conceptual design for the masterplan by PARTISANS and SvN, the proposal envisions thousands of residential units and extensive cultural and commercial spaces.
The Hearn site, municipally known as 402 and 440 Unwin Avenue, lies south of the Ship Channel on the north side of Unwin Avenue, east of Cherry Street in Toronto’s Port Lands. After a planned land swap and right-of-way conveyance to realign Unwin Avenue, it spans approximately 13.17 hectares. Surrounding the heritage building are industrial or vacant lands under short-term leases. Situated in the Port Lands district, the site is bordered by industrial uses, the Portlands Energy Centre to the east, and the Ship Channel to the north.
The Richard L. Hearn Generating Station, a mid-20th-century coal-fired power plant, powered Toronto from the 1950s until its decommissioning in 1983. With a 213m smokestack and a footprint spanning three city blocks, it remains an iconic feature of the Port Lands. Since closing, the Hearn has seen sporadic use for film shoots and events, including the 2016 Luminato Festival. Acquired from the Provincial Government without tender by Cortel and Studios of America in 2018, the site is now designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.
Now, Bousfields has submitted an Official Plan Amendment application to the City of Toronto on behalf of the developers. The site layout centers on the Hearn, with mixed-use development blocks planned to the west, south, and east. A realigned Unwin Avenue would traverse the site from west to east, replacing the existing road with a pedestrian- and cycling-friendly corridor along the south edge of the site.
Planned public spaces include Smokestack Plaza, a central gathering space south of the plant, and the Hearn Plaza, landscaped forecourts between the new Unwin and the plant which provide space for outdoor activities. Defined areas across the site include pathways, plazas, and naturalized buffers.
The Portage, a north-south corridor linking the Ship Channel to the Outer Harbour, would prioritize pedestrian connections along the west side of the site. The plan also includes flexible land uses, ranging from residential housing — including affordable and workforce units — to office, retail, and institutional spaces.
At the northwest corner, a promenade and water taxi landing along the Ship Channel would create opportunities for waterfront recreation and direct water-based transportation to destinations like the Toronto Islands. Plans also include protections for a pedestrian and cycling bridge across the Ship Channel. Proposed sustainability measures include a district energy network, geothermal systems for heating and cooling, and bioswales to filter stormwater runoff. The development aspires to achieve a net-zero carbon footprint.
ERA Architects is overseeing the heritage conservation at the heart of the proposal. The cavernous interior of the generating station would offer many opportunities for repurposed non-residential spaces, with its main ground floor axes working as woonerfs that prioritize pedestrian and cyclists movements, while allowing occasional delivery vehicles.
Retail and commercial office/maker spaces, recreation and entertainment uses, and facilities catering to film production are amongst those contemplated; the building is large enough to provide many possibilities and it is expected that plans for its use will evolve.
New roadways would give access to seven development blocks, most with two towers rising from shared podiums. The Hearn plant itself could have five towers rise from it, three along its north edge, two along the south. None of the towers have projected heights yet.
Plans call for a total Gross Floor Area of between 608,182 and 739,567m². Residential uses account for between 519,000 and 648,000m², alongside 16,800m² of amenity spaces, while non-residential uses would make up 29,548 to 37,400m². In total, the plan accommodates a projected 8,400 residential units, designed to offer a mix of market, affordable, workforce, and family housing options.
The plan includes 2,522 vehicular parking spaces, including a single level of underground garage, with most above-grade parking in the podiums of the development blocks. Bicycle parking entails 7,634 long-term and 852 short-term spaces for residential use, and spaces dedicated to non-residential uses.
Currently, TTC bus routes provide service connecting the site to Union station. For cyclists, the Martin Goodman Trail spans Toronto’s waterfront. Looking ahead, the planned Waterfront East LRT is set to loop along Queens Quay and Cherry Street, with a possible extension along Unwin Avenue to directly serve the Hearn site. The nearby East Harbour Transit Hub, approximately 1km northwest, will serve as an interchange for the Lakeshore East and Stouffville GO lines, the Ontario Line 3, and SmartTrack. A streetcar along an extended Broadview Avenue is also proposed to connect East Harbour with the Port Lands.
The Hearn District would mark a major step on the south side of the evolving Port Lands area. To the north of the Ship Channel, the Basin Media Hub proposes a new movie studio and office complex with buildings up to five storeys, while the expansion of Pinewood Toronto Studios is under construction. Nearby, 280 Commissioners Street and 115 Saulter Street South, each propose towers up to 45 storeys, while 120 Bouchette Street calls for towers up to 49 storeys, and 685 Lake Shore East proposes towers at 54 and 59 storeys. East Harbour envisions 15 buildings with heights from 23 to 65 storeys.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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| Related Companies: | Bousfields, CCxA, Cortel Group, SvN |
