This morning, GWL Realty Advisors announced College Park 100, an initiative to explore the past, present, and future of College Park in anticipation of its 100th anniversary in 2030. Through a newly launched website and an upcoming series of public events, College Park 100 will revisit the site's original design ambitions while engaging the public in discussions about how it can evolve. 

Looking southwest to College Park, image courtesy of GWL Realty Advisors

ERA Architects, which previously restored The Carlu in 2003, will oversee heritage preservation and architectural restoration. Public Work, an urban design and landscape architecture firm, will be revitalizing the surrounding public space, while Hariri Pontarini Architects will serve as the design architect. Pre-application meetings with the City of Toronto have begun, and as discussions progress, phased construction will be considered to minimize disruptions in this high-traffic area.

The current facade from Yonge and College streets, image retrieved from Apple Maps

 

Originally designed by Ross & Macdonald, the site was envisioned by the Eaton's department store chain as a grand 38-storey retail complex in the heart of Toronto. Economic forces from the Great Depression dictated a more modest approach, however, so when Eaton’s College Street opened in 1930, it was only seven storeys tall. Nevertheless, the new store was one of the largest department stores in North America, showcasing an Art Moderne exterior and Art Deco interiors. The seventh-floor Eaton Auditorium, designed by Jacques Carlu, became a celebrated cultural venue. After Eaton’s relocated to the Eaton Centre in 1977, the building transitioned through various uses. GWL Realty Advisors took ownership in 2000, reopening the seventh floor in 2003 as The Carlu event venue.

An aerial view looking northeast to College Park and the surrounding area, image retrieved from Apple Maps

 

With over 250,000 people passing through College subway station each week, and new development continues to reshape the Yonge, College, and Cartlon streets area, GWL Realty Advisors is taking the opportunity for the site to be revitalized and has outlined plans to improve the publicly accessible spaces surrounding the site, including the open space behind College Park and streetscape along Yonge and College streets.

A closer view looking northeast to the buildings and park, image retrieved from Apple Maps

College Park 100 aims to revisit the ambitious vision originally set out by Ross & Macdonald. Working with the City and local stakeholders, the developer will explore housing, mobility, public space, and programming, while also envisioning College Park’s potential as a vibrant mixed-use destination, and balancing heritage preservation. A series of lectures, open houses, and town halls will provide opportunities for public input. The process remains in its early stages, with no formal development application submitted.

With the website now live, the first public event in the College Park 100 series, entitled Restoring the Lost Vision of College Park, will take place in March, 2025 at The Carlu’s Round Room, hosted by ERA Architects Principal Scott Weir, In the months that follow, additional events will feature Public Work Principal Marc Ryan and Hariri Pontarini Architects Founding Partner David Pontarini. 

An aerial view looking southwest to College Park, image retrieved from Apple Maps

At this stage, there is no confirmed development plan, final design, nor construction timeline, and any future redevelopment remains subject to City approval. Input from the public and city officials will help refine the vision before any formal redevelopment plans are submitted. UrbanToronto will continue to track developments and share updates as new details emerge.

UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our dedicated Project Forum thread, where you can also join in on the conversation. Or, yuo may leave a comment in the space provided on this page.

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