Innovative Design Competition Sets Stage for Revitalization of Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and Harbour Square Park

three ferry boats with buildings in the background

November 4, 2014, Toronto, ON—The world’s most talented and creative design professionals are invited to develop bold new concepts for one of the waterfront’s most important gateways. An Innovative Design Competition, launched today in partnership with the City of Toronto, will set the stage for the revitalization of the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and Harbour Square Park.

The primary goal of the design competition is to produce a unifying and inspiring Master Plan which can be phased in over time. The vision for the area will result in a welcoming gateway to the Toronto Islands – one of the City’s most unique and cherished parks – with amenities and infrastructure to support the approximately 1.3 million visitors who use the ferry each year.

“The dedication of the Toronto Island ferry docks terminal in memory of the late Jack Layton creates a new imperative to remake this important gateway,” says Councillor Pam McConnell, Toronto Centre - Rosedale. “It presents an exciting opportunity to develop an inclusive process that promotes outstanding park and building design, reflects the needs and aspirations of the park and ferry users and the larger revitalization of the waterfront.”

Communication and engagement with the public will be an integral part of the Design Competition. A Stakeholder Advisory Committee comprised of local residents, businesses and neighbourhood groups will meet at key points during the competition process and will provide advice and feedback to the project team, the design teams and the competition jury.

The Design Competition will follow a two-stage juried process which includes a pre-qualification stage and a competition stage. During the pre-qualification stage, which begins today, design professionals from Canada and around the world are invited to submit proposals outlining their qualifications. At the end of December 2014, five teams will be invited to move on to the Design Competition.

“Design competitions play a key role in the transformation of Toronto’s waterfront,” says Christopher Glaisek, Vice President of Planning and Design, Waterfront Toronto. “The innovative ideas that stem from competition submissions help raise the level of planning and design in our city and provide an opportunity for public conversations to unfold about key waterfront sites.”

The teams selected to participate in the Design Competition will take part in an intensive 8-week design exercise that kicks off with an extensive waterfront orientation session in January 2015. At the end of the 8-week design exercise, the teams will present their proposals at a public exhibition for a distinguished jury of design professionals and members of the general public. This major public exhibition, planned for early March 2015, will give Torontonians an opportunity to review the design approaches and provide feedback to the jury.

As a gateway to the Toronto Islands, the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and Harbour Square Park is a unique waterfront site with historical significance. It occupies prime waterfront space at the end of two of Toronto’s most important streets – Bay Street and Yonge Street.

Once a recommended approach – or combined approach – is selected by the competition jury, the design team will move forward with a Master Plan for the area. The Master Plan will include a phasing strategy to prioritize work. Pursuant to Toronto City Council approval, the Capital Budget includes funding for an initial phase of work. Going forward, the Master Plan will be used to guide additional budget requests and to ensure that revitalization efforts move forward in a coordinated manner.

The Governments of Canada and Ontario and the City of Toronto created Waterfront Toronto to oversee and lead the renewal of Toronto’s waterfront. Public accessibility, design excellence, sustainable development, economic development and fiscal sustainability are the key drivers of waterfront revitalization.