Former McLaughlin Planetarium in downtown Toronto being demolished

Work is underway on the demolition of the former McLaughlin Planetarium. (Chopper 24)

Work is underway to demolish a former downtown planetarium to make way for a six-storey building that will primarily house University of Toronto’s School of Cities.

Chopper 24 captured an excavator at the McLaughlin Planetarium, which is located just south of the Royal Ontario Museum on Queen’s Park.

A spokesperson for U of T confirmed on Wednesday that demolition is ongoing and is expected to be completed by the end of spring.

The City of Toronto told CP24 that a permit was issued on Nov. 28 for the proposed demolition of the dome-shaped structure, excluding foundations.

The planetarium, which cost $2.25 million, opened on Nov. 2, 1968, after two years of construction. It was a gift to the Royal Ontario Museum from Canadian businessman and automobile industry pioneer R.S. McLaughlin.

It featured a dome, which was 75 feet in diameter, where the sun, moon, planets, stars, comets, and other wonders of the universe were shown using hundreds of projectors.

The McLaughlin Planetarium closed in Nov. 1995, and the land it sits on was later sold to U of T.

Last year, the university unveiled its plan for the site, saying the new building will “become a major centre for scholarship on urban issues, a hub for community engagement and a key gateway to the St. George campus.”

In addition to its School of Cities, the university said the building will have a world-class recital hall and spaces for its Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Faculty of Law, and Faculty of Music.