Renderings show planned massive redevelopment at former Toronto Coach Terminal site

The former downtown Toronto Coach Terminal is being turned into a massive mixed-use property that will include nearly 300 affordable rental units and a new Toronto paramedics multi-hub.

On Thursday, the City of Toronto released renderings of the proposed redevelopment at 610 Bay Street and 130 Elizabeth Street as it announced the Kilmer Group and Tricon Residential will lead the project.

The Art Deco building near Bay and Dundas streets operated as a bus terminal for nearly 90 years and was added to the city’s heritage registry in 1987. The property was later sold to the city.

The renderings show two towers erected at the site are proposed to house 873 purpose-built rental units—290 are affordable—a 23,000-square-foot paramedics hub, University Health Network’s state-of-the-art organ repair centre for heart, lung, and liver transplants, and an adaptive re-use of the heritage bus terminal and bus shed.

The 16-storey and 41-storey buildings will be separated by a public plaza, which will incorporate a series of outdoor rooms.

Rendering of 610 Bay Street and 130 Elizabeth Street. (City of Toronto)According to the city, the design by firms Studio Gang, architects-Alliance, Smoke Architecture, and CCxA “is rooted in the Indigenous principle of the Seven Directions while celebrating the historical importance and character of the iconic Art Deco Coach Terminal.”

“The goal is to create a complete community that puts people first, invigorates the surrounding area and creates tree-lined public spaces that connect the surrounding neighbourhoods,” the city said in a release.

Mayor Olivia Chow, in a statement, said she is pleased with the proposed transformation of the site.

“This project sets a high bar for how we can build more homes, while celebrating our City’s history and embracing Indigenous knowledge as we build new communities,” she said.

The city said construction and leasing of rental homes at 610 Bay Street is expected in the first quarter of 2029, while 130 Elizabeth Street is anticipated to be finished the following year.