Artist, creator spaces part of old Guvernment site

Anthony Marcusa —

Creators and artists are being sought to populate the newest developments planned for the Downtown Waterfront.

An art community, a versatile music venue and a new George Brown college site will take shape as the Daniels Corporation develops 143 Queens Quay East at Jarvis.

Daniels representatives visited the West Don Lands Committee (WDLC) on Nov. 24 to reveal their plans for revitalizing the area, offering both hard numbers and lofty ideas about the changes that will unfold over the next four and a half years.

Work on part of the site will commence in early 2015 when Daniels takes over the lease on land currently occupied by the Guvernment night club on Jan. 31. The building will be demolished 15 days later in preparation for a May start date for construction of a 10- and 13-storey tower with a 4-storey podium, four levels of underground parking and mixed office, retail, and—intriguingly—creative usage space.

Incorporated into this development is the Artist’s Launch Pad, a collaborative area where young artists can work together, rent tools and equipment, and display work. The versatile area will also be used as a music venue, and the entire social and artistic space looks to attract “three times as many people during the day than the evening.”

It’s all part of a plan that looks to embrace the public realm and adhere to the precinct plan set forth by Waterfront Toronto. Cafes, art spaces, retail stores, and areas for congregation will be in play. Daniels also plans to lead by example, taking office space in the buildingonce the three-year construction process is completed in the spring of 2018.

The project also includes an area dubbed “the yard,” an informal social space where people can gather, sitting along the steps to the building while protected from the elements (wind and sun) thanks to the efforts of the Daniels architects.

Just to the north, the rest of the site will be redeveloped with another high rise with a mix of residential units and academic space.

George Brown College will expand and relocated its design program, creating a college-owned waterfront campus. There will be four levels of underground parking in addition to space for 1500 bicycles.

Demolition will begin in early 2016, with construction complete by the spring of 2019. Adherence to the timetable is strict as George Brown will start classes in their new building in the fall of 2019. There is hope transit will expand to aid the area, but nothing has been planned or promised so far.