The Bentway, in partnership with the City of Toronto, is making plans to create a second public space site below the Gardiner Expressway between Dan Leckie Way and Spadina Avenue.
about the project
In April 2024, Toronto City Council endorsed the Under Gardiner Public Realm Plan which outlines a comprehensive vision for underutilized spaces below and adjacent to the Gardiner Expressway. The plan identifies a series of spaces below the Gardiner that, following the success of the Bentway Phase 1 site, can become public destinations with year-round amenities and rotating programming.
The Bentway Islands is the first of these spaces to move into design.
Spread across three largescale traffic medians with a cumulative area of over 120,000 sq ft (11,500 sq mt), this site is set to become a community anchor and amenity in the heart of the CityPlace neighbourhood. The Bentway Islands will act as a “sister site” to the existing Bentway Phase 1 location two blocks away, creating new space for play, shared experiences, and regenerative landscape.
Starting in September 2024, we will be working together with a renowned team of designers and engaging with the public to develop an innovative approach for the site. Construction of the site will follow the completion of the City of Toronto’s work in the area, as outlined in the City’s Gardiner Expressway Strategic Rehabilitation plan.
The current site conditions:
A temporary experimental project, Bentway Staging Grounds, is currently mounted on a portion of the future Bentway Islands site, at the corner of Dan Leckie Way and Lake Shore Boulevard East.
design team
Field Operations
Design Project Leader; Design Landscape Architect
Brook McIlroy
Prime Consultant; Contract Administrator and Executive Sponsor; Architecture Lead; Indigenous Design & Placemaking Lead
BA Group
Transportation Engineering
Pratus
Climate, Energy & Environmental Consulting
WSP
Civil Engineering & Stormwater Management
Vermeulens
Cost Consultant & Quantity Surveying
Faet Lab
Structural Engineering
engagement
The development of The Bentway Islands involves collaboration with the City of Toronto and various stakeholders to gather community input. Key engagement streams include:
- Community Advisory Committee (CAC): Comprising local residents selected through a civic lottery, the CAC will meet throughout the project to review objectives and design schemes, providing direct feedback to the design team and The Bentway. The civic lottery process was conducted by The Bentway in Summer 2024.
- First Nations and Urban Indigenous Engagement: Partnering with Nbisiing Consulting, the Bentway is engaging with First Nations leaders (Mississaugas of the Credit and Six Nations of Grand River) to refine the project brief and has formed a local Indigenous Design Advisory (IDA) for ongoing feedback. A sharing meeting for Urban Indigenous Communities is planned for early 2025.
- Unhoused Engagement: Collaborating with local service providers and the City of Toronto’s Shelter & Support Services group, The Bentway will engage directly with unhoused individuals in shelters and surrounding areas.
- Technical Advisory Committee (TAC): This committee, consisting of city representatives and Bentway staff, will advise on the project’s feasibility and design elements.
For more information on the engagement process, please reach out to hello@thebentway.ca.
stay in the loop
Watch this space for announcements and updates on our community engagement and design progress. Join The Bentway’s mailing list to receive updates directly to your in–box.
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