Toronto waterfront redevelopment plans focus on the arts

The developers behind plans to put new condos, offices and retail space on Toronto's waterfront showed off their plans which featurea heavy arts bent at a Thursday event.

The section of Queens Quay and Lower Jarvis will see a $700-million, 1.3-million square foot, 48-storey condo tower with more than 900 units. Another 38-storey condo tower, and a 13-storey and 10-storey office towers are also planned.

The arts are a recurring theme to the development, with construction taking place on the grounds of the former home of the Guvernment nightclub.

Daniels Corporation, the developer, was on hand on Thursday along with mayor John Tory and Waterfront Toronto CEO John Campbell, to announced a 150,000 square foot "Creative Industries Hub" that will be part of the development. It will house the head office ofArtscape,a not-for-profit arts development organization, and other arts organizations. There will also be an arts-focused post-secondary school in the complex.

Daniels Corportation vice president Tom Dutton referred to the project as Daniels Waterfront City of the Arts.

Daniels isbehind such other local arts hubs as TIFF Bell Lightbox and Festival Tower, the Daniels Spectrum and the Regent Park revitalization.