DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
November 14, 2025 1.5K
Revised Corktown Table of Contents adds height and units and reduces office space
Infrastructure Ontario has revised the concept for the Transit Oriented Community (TOC) in Toronto's Corktown neighborhood on the east side of downtown. The proposed two-block site includes both sides of Front Street west of Parliament Street, where Ontario Line 3's Corktown station is currently under construction. The updated plan designed by SvN calls for five towers up to 58 storeys high, concentrating the height along Parliament Street while removing key office components from the previous plan and significantly increasing residential space, supported by new retail space, institutional space and a new public park.
A bird's eye view looking northeast of the Corktown TOC, designed by SvN for Infrastructure Ontario
The north location at 383 King Street East covers 8,643 m² and most recently housed a car dealership, a Staples store and parking areas. The southern location at 265 to 271 Front Street East covered 130,000 square feet and included a mix of low-rise commercial buildings, a car wash, and expansive paved areas. In the center of the King Parliament Secondary Plan area, the surrounding area is characterized by the new development of low-rise, medium- and high-rise buildings. The Distillery District is a few blocks southeast.
A top view looking west of the current location, image from Infrastructure Ontario
The planning follows the launch of the TOC program associated with the proposed Ontario Line 3 subway across the province in 2020, followed by initial design work in 2021. Zoning approvals were determined next year through a ministerial zoning order that set the framework for the original plan in 2022. Since then, market conditions have changed, most notably the sharp decline in office demand and increasing housing shortages, as well as new technical constraints associated with Corktown station and the Ontario Line tunnel alignment led to a redesign. The historical context of the area also shaped the process: the location of the First Parliament required detailed archaeological work and a specific interpretation and memorial plan.
Previous SvN draft for Infrastructure Ontario
The newly revised plan calls for a dual tower arrangement of 46 and 54 storeys on the northern site, positioned closer to Parliament Street to avoid the Ontario Line station box below the west side of the block along Berkeley Street. These replace the previous configuration of two 46-storey towers paired with mid-rise components and eliminate the office space that previously made up much of the scheme. The new division would increase the housing supply from 840 to 1,102 units, on a total gross floor area (GFA) of 93,180 m² without transit elements, with a floor area index of 10.8 times the property area. The majority of the GFA would be for residential use, while retail would be limited to 895 m² in the west building and 1,114 m² in the east building.
North Site designed by SvN for Infrastructure Ontario
The previous three-story garage with 271 parking spaces was replaced by 74 car parking spaces, supplemented by 1,250 bicycle parking spaces. The change is consistent with the site's role as Corktown station's station headquarters and the emphasis on pedestrian movement through new east-west and north-south mid-block connections.
Looking southeast towards the north site designed by SvN for Infrastructure Ontario
On the southern site, the updated concept would organize development into a 22-storey west tower and taller east towers of 50 and 58 storeys, replacing the previous mix of a 10-storey institutional block, a 42,281 m² 24-storey office building and residential towers of 25 and 46 storeys. The GFA is now 103,239 m² and the resulting FSI would be 8.23 ​​times the plot coverage. An area of ​​95,418 m² is allocated to residential use, while the non-residential portion includes 3,422 m² of general commercial space, 1,611 m² of retail space and 2,788 m² of institutional space.
South Site designed by SvN for Infrastructure Ontario
Parking has been converted from the previous mix of underground and above-ground stalls to four underground levels with 111 vehicle spaces and 1,484 bicycle spaces. This represents a reduction from the previous total of 297 spaces. The mid-block connections have been taken over from the northern site to create a continuous pedestrian network, whilst the redevelopment at the southern end of the site has added 2,100 m² to expand the existing Parliament Square Park.
Looking northeast at the south site designed by SvN for Infrastructure Ontario
In addition to the new Corktown station, TTC surface transportation service to the site includes the 504 King streetcar and 65 Parliament and 121 Esplanade River buses.
The proposal is surrounded by other projects and proposals. To the northwest are the 32-story Bauhaus condominiums under construction and the 46-story project at 296 King East. To the west of the TOC, the King East Center is planned with 28 and 39 floors. A group of high-rise projects in the north include 550 Adelaide East at 29 storeys and 134 Parliament at 46 storeys. To the east, the 31-story Curio by Hilton Distillery District is planned. To the south, construction is underway at The Goode Condos and No. 31 condos continue at 33 and 46 storeys, with a 49-storey tower planned at 31R Parliament Street.
UrbanToronto will continue to monitor the progress of these developments, but in the meantime you can learn more in our database files linked below. If you'd like, you can join the discussions in the associated Project Forum threads or leave a comment in the designated area on this page.
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