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2.9K Developments at Exhibition Station Get Massive Height, Density Boost
Infrastructure Ontario has unveiled revised plans for the Exhibition Station Transit-Oriented Community (TOC) that increase the heights of the high-rise towers and nearly triple the homes proposed. The updated vision reimagines the area with towers rising to 54 storeys, tucked in beside Exhibition GO and Ontario Line 3 station. This places it along the southern edge of Toronto’s Liberty Village and just across the Gardiner Expressway from Exhibition Place.
Designed by SvN through the Ontario Line Technical Advisory team, the revised concept significantly increases residential density, targeting roughly 1,450 units, up from just 565 in the 2022 plan, and rebalances the mix toward housing over office use. The Province has confirmed that the Exhibition TOC will include affordable housing, with final numbers and locations to be announced at a later stage. The project is expected to advance under a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO), a provincial planning tool that allows zoning changes to bypass the municipal approvals process. Rezoning is targeted for Fall 2025.
The site encompasses parcels at 1 Jefferson Avenue and 1–1A Atlantic Avenue, just north of Exhibition station and half way between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue. Together, the Jefferson and Atlantic sites span approximately 9,500m². The Jefferson Site, a rectangular lot fronting Jefferson Avenue, currently houses a two-storey former industrial building repurposed for office use. To the east, the irregularly shaped Atlantic Site is occupied by a converted warehouse with active commercial tenants.
The original concept proposed four buildings rising 19 to 20 storeys. That version placed greater emphasis on office space, with nearly 40% of the floor area allocated to non-residential uses. Now, with taller towers proposed nearby and growing pressure to intensify housing delivery around major transit investments, there has been a full redesign in collaboration with SvN.
The Jefferson Site is now proposed to host a 44-storey tower rising above a 10-storey podium, replacing the previous plan for twin 19-storey buildings. The redesigned tower would reach a height of approximately 147 metres and contain 548 residential units, an 81% increase over the 303 units initially proposed. Total Gross Floor Area (GFA) has grown from 38,008m² to 45,114m², with 41,781m² allocated to residential use and 3,333m² to non-residential, including 1,047m² of retail. The resulting Floor Space Index (FSI) stands at 9.5. Parking is limited to 79 vehicle spaces, with 60 reserved for residents, while bicycle parking rises to 629 spaces, up from a previous combined total of 483.
The Atlantic Site is now planned to accommodate a pair of residential towers rising 38 and 54 storeys, a substantial increase from the previous 19- and 20-storey buildings proposed in 2022. The towers would deliver a combined 900 units, more than tripling the earlier total of 265. GFA has expanded from 34,846m² to a combined 68,921m², with 64,416m² dedicated to residential use and 4,505m² to non-residential, including 1,646m² of retail. The towers achieve densities of 13.2 and 15.35 FSI. Vehicle parking is limited to 63 spaces in the west tower, with none proposed in the taller east tower, while bicycle parking rises sharply to 914 long-term spots, up from 373.
The plan, which includes massing studies only for the buildings, not architectural expression yet, also calls for expanded sidewalks, ground-floor retail along all major frontages, a new mid-block courtyard on the Atlantic Site, and a combination of north–south connections. A reimagined Liberty New Street would provide new east-west circulation along the south side of Liberty Village.
The TOC is directly connected to the transit station which is already served by the GO Lakeshore West line, while the initial western terminus of the Ontario Line is under construction as part of the enlarged facility. The new east–west right-of-way, Liberty New Street, will aid local circulation between Dufferin and Strachan, while a publicly accessible pedestrian bridge will extend from the Jefferson Site into the station, as well as an already existing underground pedestrian tunnel through the Atlantic Site.
Other mid-rise and high-rise projects, both residential and commercial space, are transforming the area. Immediately north, proposals include 58 Atlantic Avenue at 10 storeys and The Castle at 41 Fraser Avenue at 11 storeys. Further northeast, Liberty Yard is planned as a trio of towers ranging from 32 to 36 storeys, while 80 Lynn Williams is proposed at 44 storeys. To the west, proposals include 7-15 Fraser Avenue at 7 storeys and 147 Liberty Street at 55 storeys.
An MZO is expected to streamline the development process, enabling the province to bring the sites to market shortly after with binding obligations for future development partners. TOC construction is contingent on the completion of the Ontario Line, which is currently anticipated in the early 2030s.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on these developments, but in the meantime, you can learn more about them from our Database files, linked below. If you’d like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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| Related Companies: | SvN, Tarra Engineering & Structural Consultants Inc |
