The public agency that stewards Toronto’s waterfront has tapped West 8 and local firm DTAH to turn a slice of formerly industrial shoreline into a local destination.
When it opens, the gussied-up Parliament Slip will have aquatics opportunities galore. Residents and visitors will be able to swim in a timber-decked pool complex, launch kayaks and canoes, and dine at a floating restaurant. For those who like to take in the view, there will be an amphitheater on-site, too.
“Great waterfronts around the world have distinct defining features,” said Chris Glaisek, chief planning and design officer for Waterfront Toronto, in a press release. “Memorable design, welcoming public spaces, the ability to serve recreational and transportation needs, waterfront dining and retail options, and cultural attractions.”
Work by West 8 and DTAH along derelict stretches of the Toronto shoreline dates back to 2006. Additionally, in 2015, the city and Waterfront Toronto selected West 8’s team proposal to rework the outdated Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and adjacent Harbour Square Park. The waterfront parcel that will serve as the future home of the Parliament Slip project was once a part of Sidewalk Labs’ massive—and now-abandoned—Quayside redevelopment scheme.
The area is sheltered from Lake Ontario by a series of barrier islands, one of which hosts the city’s Billy Bishop Airport. The redesign agenda for Parliament Slip grew from a master plan released last year that outlined a future for a lakefront once dominated by industry. Waterfront Toronto partnered with the City of Toronto, PortsToronto, the agency that manages the city’s ports and airport, and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to envision a future for a shore that people can access easily and enjoy.
Stakeholders haven’t released additional information on groundbreaking and construction timelines, although Waterfront Toronto estimates that the planning phase for the project will run at least five years.
