Three new jumbo towers will soon rise above College Park

College Park—the art deco wonder on Yonge and its accompanying namesake public space—is getting a huge facelift leading up to its centennial in 2030. Last week, GWL Reality Advisors released new plans to upgrade the iconic complex with three new towers, 2,300 units, a sparkling hotel, more retail and entertainment, and a revitalized park.

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College Park, designed in the 1920s by Canadian firm Ross and Macdonald, was supposed to rival New York’s Rockefeller Center, but the Great Depression resulted in a scaled-back version. Now, GWLRA is planning some renewed retail glory for the 21st century, with help from local architecture firms Hariri Pontarini, ERA and Public Work.

Currently awaiting approval from the city, GWLRA would revive Ross and Macdonald’s original vision (grander and more opulent) for the College Park podium. The company also plans to add some sparkle to the building’s Parisian-style arcade and to expand the seventh-floor Carlu event venue with outdoor terraces and more space for conferences.

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GWLRA also plans to fully retain the building’s existing structure to avoid façadism—the terribly prevalent Toronto practice of merely preserving a heritage building’s façade while constructing an entirely new building behind it. “For its whole existence, College Park has never reached its full potential,” says ERA Architects principal Scott Weir. “This project is our chance to get it right for its second century.”

Plans for many other mega-projects within walking distance of College Park are already in motion, including a new Chelsea Hotel and the 85-storey Concord Sky tower.