New vision unveiled for Toronto’s College Park. Here is a closer look

A rendering of College Park's revitalization. (GWLRA/rendering)

The owners of a Toronto architectural landmark have unveiled an ambitious proposal to revitalize the space with the construction of more than 2,000 new housing units alongside a hotel and a new public atrium.

GWL Realty Advisors (GWLRA) released renderings of its vision for College Park on Tuesday afternoon, including a three-tower mixed-use complex that would rise above the existing heritage building.

GWLRA says that the proposal, which still needs to go through the city’s zoning and approval process, would allow for the construction of 2,334 new housing units as well as “a new hotel, a new retail and entertainment space, and a new public space.”

It would also maintain the full building that has stood at the corner of College and Yonge streets since 1930, rather than just its façade.

“College Park is one of the most significant works of architecture in Toronto,” ERA Architects Principal Scott Weir said in a news release. “For its whole existence, College Park has never reached its full potential. This project is our chance to get it right for the beginning of its second century.”

College Park is a designated heritage site that is currently home to a shopping mall, office complex and residential properties, as well as a path to the subway.

Opened in 1930, and designed by Montreal architects Ross & Macdonald, College Park was scaled back from a 38-storey retail hub at the time, as a result in part of structural challenges and the economic devastation of the Great Depression, GWLRA says.

The Tyndall limestone structure was originally known as Eaton’s College Street, until 1977, when the Eaton’s Centre opened a few blocks down the street.

College Park’s seventh-floor Eaton Auditorium, which once hosted performers like Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington, was abandoned until 2000, when GWLRA took over. They restored and renamed the venue as The Carlu, after the original designer Jacques Carlu.

GWLRA says that it is now aiming to see through Ross & Macdonald’s original design, as well as other scenic elements that mixes old and new architectural designs.

These include the three mixed-use residential towers, rooftop gardens, a pathway that links College and Yonge to a glass-encased atrium and outdoor public space at the rear.

GWLRA tells CTV News Toronto that it has submitted its formal development application to the city. They have also launched a website, which covers the building’s history, as well as detailed plans for its future.

An events series featuring lectures, open houses and town halls is planned for the future, with the intention of gathering public input and showcasing detailed plans.