A Landmark Year on Toronto's Waterfront for Developments
2026 is a pivotal year for Toronto’s waterfront. Long-anticipated developments are finally opening to the public, adding new cultural spaces, public art, improved connections, and striking additions to the harbourfront.
From revitalized heritage buildings to brand-new parks, trails, and towers, these projects reflect the waterfront’s continued growth and evolving identity as a place to gather, explore, and connect.
The Corleck Building
Opening: May 2026
Location: 3 Eireann Quay
Photo Credit: The Canada Ireland Foundation
New Arts and Culture Venue
The Corleck building will be home to a new arts and culture venue celebrating the longstanding contributions of Toronto’s Irish community and their stories of migration to Canada. The Canada Ireland Foundation will also reside in the Corleck Building, using office space on the upper floors to curate and deliver new cultural experiences, paying homage to Irish culture and history.
The Corleck is a heritage building that once served as the administrative offices of the Canada Malting Silos in the 1940s, and sits beside Little Norway park.
The revitalized building is 9,600 sq ft and will feature:
A stage and a performance space
Rooftop terrace with bar
Multi-use event space
Conference rooms
Museum and gallery
Cafe
The Corleck Building is a part of the Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Plan, an initiative by the City’s Waterfront Secretariat to transform underutilized public property into a space for community. The Bathurst Quay Revitalization Plan included the Corleck building and the now-complete Bathurst Quay Park.
One of the most exciting pieces of the Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Plan is the restoration of the Canadian Malting silos, which has recently been completed, and it is expected that a gallery or museum will be established along the main floor of the silos.
Lassonde Art Trail
Opening: Summer 2026
Location: 51 Commissioners St
Photo credit: First Sun, Monira Al Qadiri, Photo: Nicolas Knight, courtesy of Public Art Fund, NY.
New Public Art Trail
Stretching over 4.2km in the Port Lands is a path connected by large-scale outdoor sculptures. Free and open to the public, this 'open-air' museum is unlike anything Canada has ever seen before.
The Lassonde Art Trail will feature artwork from both Canadian and International artists, with art installations created intentionally for the location.
The Lassonde Art Trail will be located in the heart of Biidaasige Park, one of Toronto's largest parks. Biidaasige Park is also a recent development in Toronto, opening just last year in 2025!
Interestingly, Biidaasige Park sits on Ookwemin Minising (formerly known as Villiers Island), an island intentionally created by Waterfront Toronto’s flood protection project. The Port Lands Flood Protection Project reconnects the Don River to Lake Ontario, creating a naturalized river mouth. '
Waterfront ReConnect - Dan Leckie Underpass Lighting Project
Opening: TBD 2026
Location: Dan Leckie Way and Lake Shore Boulevard
Photo Credit: The Bentway
Under the Gardiner Lighting Project
Over the last few years, The Bentway has partnered with key Business Improvement Areas to brighten and reimagine intersections under the Gardiner, creating safer and more accessible walkways for pedestrians. The Waterfront ReConnect projects are designed to strengthen the connections between Toronto’s downtown core and the waterfront.
Waterfront Reconnect pilots have now been undertaken at three underpass locations along the Gardiner Expressway corridor: York, Lower Simcoe, Rees, and soon Dan Leckie.
The Dan Leckie intersection connects Toronto’s waterfront to CityPlace and Fort York neighbourhoods.
The Dan Leckie ReConnect project will utilize light cast upon the bent structures to better animate and illuminate the underpass. The Dan Leckie Way underpass is also the location of the Bentway Staging Grounds, a 2024 project by the Bentway in partnership with the Waterfront BIA to create an animated public space under the gardener at the base of Canoe Landing Park.
Dan Leckie Way’s lighting project will be completed in 2026, with creative lighting to create a safer and more welcoming walkway for pedestrians. The Bentway also plans to extend the Waterfront ReConnect lighting to the Bathurst St. Underpass as a World Cup legacy project.
Pinnacle Sky Tower
Opening: Spring 2026
Location: 1 Yonge St
Image Credit: Pinnacle International
New Residential Tower and Hotel
The tallest residential tower in Canada is opening this year! Located at the foot of One Yonge, the Sky Tower will top out at 106 storeys (352 metres), making it Canada’s First “Supertall” skyscraper. The tower will feature the new Le Méridien Toronto Pinnacle Hotel, 958 luxury residences, and a signature restaurant on the 106th storey with unforgettable views.
The Sky Tower is only one component of a megacomplex by developer Pinnacle International. The megacomplex will feature three residential towers at 1 Yonge St. The first of the trio to reach completion was The Prestige, which welcomed residents at the end of 2022. The building features 496 units and the One Yonge Community Recreation Centre at its base.
The third tower will replace the former 1971 Toronto Star building and be home to a 468-room hotel (a different hotel operator from Le Meridian) with a completion date still to be determined.
The three towers are redefining Toronto’s skyline and adding vibrancy to its waterfront.
Unfinished Arch
Opening: Summer 2026
Location: 61 Dockside Dr
Artist rendering courtesy of Atelier Lozano-Hemmer. Unfinished Arch is interactive public art installation being delivered by Waterfront Toronto as part of the East Bayfront Public Art Master Plan. Built by Eventscape.
New Art Installation
A new permanent art installation, Unfinished Arch, will find its home at Sherbourne Commons Park this year. Designed by artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, the installation is a 9-metre-high and 14-metre-wide, incomplete, interactive arch.
Visitors can complete the arch by placing their hands on the incomplete edge, creating a visual that the visitor is carrying the weight of the arch, similar to the illusion with the leaning Tower of Pisa. When visitors touch the arch's edge, it illuminates the entire arch, effectively completing it.
The art installation serves as an interactive landmark, welcoming visitors to Sherbourne Commons Park.
The Unfinished Arch is a part of Waterfront Toronto’s public art program on Toronto’s waterfront, enhancing cultural vibrancy and adding to the sense of community in the area.
Ontario Science Centre
Opening: Summer 2026
Location: 235 Queens Quay W
New Temporary Home for the Ontario Science Centre
The Ontario Science Centre has a temporary new home until its permanent move to Ontario Place in 2029.
This summer, the Ontario Science Centre will move more of its programming to Harbourfront Centre. In early 2025, Harbourfront Centre welcomed KidSpark, an Ontario Science Centre learning program built for kids, and it was widely successful. Based on the success of KidSpark, the Ontario Science Centre is expanding its footprint at Harbourfront Centre to an 86, 000 square foot site.
The expanded site will have space for classrooms, workshops, and outdoor space.
Docking on Ookwemin Minising
Opening: Summer 2026
Location: Biidaassige Park
New Docking Infrastructure at Biidaasige Park
The City, Waterfront Toronto, and the Toronto Port Authority are working to improve the water-based transportation in Toronto’s inner harbour. The water taxi pilot strategy involves creating new docking infrastructure and piloting a water taxi route that takes passengers east-west along the waterfront, as opposed to current water taxi routes that are strictly to the Toronto islands and back.
As of June 2026, a new dock will be open at the foot of Biddaasige Park, creating more destinations and connections on the waterfront. The new dock will help visitors access Biddaasige Park and the Lasonde Art Trail, creating a more convenient way to travel across the waterfront
About the Waterfront BIA
Representing businesses along the Queens Quay corridor, the Waterfront Business Improvement Area (WBIA) is committed to supporting businesses, unifying the Waterfront and engaging the community. Activities of the WBIA include representing the area on key policy and advocacy issues, making targeted public realm improvements and highlighting the area’s vibrancy with activations and daily promotion online.