It’s been a few years since the former Toronto Coach Terminal closed to travellers, but municipal officials have unveiled a massive redevelopment plan that will see hundreds of new apartments and other uses on the 1.3-acre site.
Located west of Bay Street and east of Chestnut Street just north of Dundas Street West, the former bus transportation hub will be home to two new purpose-built apartment rental towers.
Officials said the Kilmer Group and Tricon Residential will build 873 rental units, and 290 of the units will be classified as “affordable.”
They said the first tower at 610 Bay St. is expected to be finished in early 2029 while the larger building at 130 Elizabeth St. is set to finish in early 2030.
As part of the design, the old Toronto Coach Terminal bus bays and heritage features will be incorporated into the new structure at Bay Street.
A rendering provided by CreateTO, the municipal corporation charged with developing City-owned assets, appeared to show commercial businesses where the buses parked.
Other features as part of the redevelopment include:
- A Toronto Paramedic Services hub to “provide vital support to surrounding communities”
- University Health Network will operate a “state-of-the-art organ repair centre” needed for liver, kidney, lung and heart transplants
- Geothermal, sustainable energy system
Where Elizabeth Street runs between the two former terminal buildings, officials said there will be a new pedestrian plaza to “create an urban oasis and incorporate a series of ‘outdoor rooms.’”
The former Toronto Coach Terminal opened in 1931 and had art deco styling. Gray Coach Lines, Toronto Greyhound Lines and Colonial Coach Lines were among the earlier users of the facility. Eventually, GO Transit and other bus companies still operating today moved into the facility.
However, GO Transit began moving out in the 1990s and early 2000s in favour of servicing Union Station (first through roadside boarding and then through the eventual Union Station Bus Terminal). The remaining bus companies eventually joined GO Transit. The facility closed in mid-2021 as it started falling into disrepair.
