A major new proposal for the adaptive reuse of the historic Richard L. Hearn Power Station in Toronto's Port Lands has just been published on the City of Toronto's development pages. The Official Plan Amendment, designed by PARTISANS and SvN for Cortel Group and Studios of America, describes a master-planned, multi-block redevelopment of the 30+ acre site at 402 and 440 Unwin Avenue. Called “The Hearn District,” UrbanToronto will provide a more detailed breakdown of the proposal in a follow-up story later today.
Looking east at the Hearn Generator Stack in the Hearn District, designed by PARTISANS and SvN for Cortel Group and Studios of America
Built in the 1950s, the Richard L. Hearn Generating Station is a mid-20th century industrial landmark that served as a coal-fired power plant until its closure in 1983. It features a 213 m tall chimney and an extensive footprint of three meters The Hearn is a defining feature of Toronto's Port Lands.
The planned renovation envisages a mixed-use residential complex with eight new buildings of indeterminate height and a total gross floor area of 739,567 m². The proposal includes 7,495 residential units offering a mix of market, affordable, employment and family housing, as well as 37,400 m² of cultural, commercial and recreational space. The listed building itself would be converted into a center with retail, entertainment and manufacturing space, possibly complemented by residential buildings above.
Master plan designed by PARTISANS and SvN for Cortel Group and Studios of America
Public spaces would include new parks, squares and promenades connecting the Hearn site to the surrounding waterfront. Smokestack Plaza and Hearn Plaza would provide outdoor gathering spaces, while The Portage would connect the Ship Canal to the outer harbor via landscaped pedestrian walkways. Improved connectivity includes a proposed realignment of Unwin Avenue with plans to accommodate a future Waterfront East LRT. The plan calls for the creation of 2,000 to 2,500 jobs and leverages adaptive reuse and new mixed-use development to stimulate economic activity.
Cyclists ride through a passageway within the redesigned Hearn Power Station, designed by PARTISANS and SvN for Cortel Group and Studios of America
UrbanToronto will replace this story with a more detailed look at the application later today.
UrbanToronto will continue to monitor the progress of this development, but in the meantime you can learn more in our database file linked below. If you'd like, you can join the discussion in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the designated area on this page.
* * *
UrbanToronto has a research service, UTPro, that provides comprehensive data on development projects in the Greater Golden Horseshoe, from proposal to completion. We also offer instant reports, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter, New Development Insider, that tracks projects from the first application.