Building Tour: Mirvish Village

Join us for our first in-person TSA Building Tour of 2023 as we take an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the expansive Mirvish Village!

Put on your hard hat and lace up those safety boots because this under-construction tour is one that can’t be missed! Re-imagining a 4.5 acre site in the Bloor Bathurst neighbourhood–including the site formerly occupied by the beloved Honest Ed’s store–and inspired by the small building floorplate densification of Tokyo, Mirvish Village seeks to set a new model for Toronto’s development with a unique mix of rental housing, public spaces and innovative retail.

A comprehensive purpose-built community, this 100% rental project will have approximately 900 rental homes throughout 6 mixed-use towers, as well as many diverse event, amenity, and retail spaces at the ground plane to preserve the rhythm of the existing streetscape. The development’s fine-grain approach fits seamlessly into the surrounding urban fabric known for its diversity and vitality. There is so much to see and learn at Mirvish Village! Our tour will take us through some finished suites, around the towers and heritage houses, and of course include a special visit to the top of a tower to get a bird’s-eye view of the project!

Tour Guides

• Joseph Troppmann, Senior Associate, Diamond Schmitt Architects
• Ashraf Hanna, Contract Administrator, Diamond Schmitt Architects
• Krenar Sulejmani, Contract Administrator, Diamond Schmitt Architects
• Dat Pham, OAA Intern Architect, Diamond Schmitt Architects
• Neima Hoseini, OAA Intern Architect, Diamond Schmitt Architects

PPE Required: All tour attendees must have a hard hat, hi-vis orange safety vest, 6” CSA-approved safety boots, and safety glasses. Anyone attending without the required PPE will not be allowed to participate. No exceptions will be made. If you do not have one of the PPE items but would like to participate, please email us at tsa@torontosocietyofarchitects.ca as we have a limited number of items we can provide. We do not have any additional safety boots available.

Waiver Form Required: As part of site access requirements, all participants will be required to sign a Release and Waiver form. Paper copies will be provided on-site.

TSA Member Priority Access: This tour is 50% off for TSA Members using the promo code found in the latest bulletin. TSA members also receive early access to tickets on June 20 at 9:00 AM. Spots remaining will then be made available to the public on July 4 at 9:00 AM. Not a member yet? You can join the TSA and get access to free, discounted, and exclusive member programming by registering online using this link.

About the Project

Mirvish Village marks a shift in Toronto city-building by providing a necessary, new development model that includes rental housing, public spaces and retail animation in the Bloor and Bathurst neighbourhood. The project reimagines 4.5 acres in downtown Toronto – including the site formerly occupied by the beloved Honest Ed’s store – as a comprehensive purpose-built community for rental apartments and innovative retail, inspired by the small building floorplate densification of Tokyo. Mirvish Village will be home to over 2,000 Torontonians, comprising 33 micro buildings that appeal to the human scale. Of the development’s almost 900 rental suites, 40% will offer rents at or below 30% of median Toronto household income, and over 40% will be family-sized units. The collection of buildings is broken into small towers, varying between 8-27 storeys, and streetwall buildings with retail at the ground plane to preserve the rhythm of the existing streetscape. The development’s fine-grain approach fits seamlessly into the surrounding urban fabric known for its diversity and vitality. This project is being developed by Westbank to have around 1.2 million square feet on three permit plots (E1, W1, and W3).

Mirvish Village will preserve and honour the site’s heritage and history. A robust consultation process helped shape its mix of uses, from Honest Ed’s Alley, to an incubator space for start-up retailers that gives a nod to the landmark store, to vibrantly programmed outdoor spaces. The heritage houses that formed part of the original Markham Street Art Colony will be restored, bringing life back to these houses with the addition of new restaurants and cafes to enliven the streetscape. The development, which is designed to meet LEED Platinum ND standards, will include a site wide utility and support sustainable transportation with extensive bike and car co-op programs.

Learn more about this project.

Project Team

Design Architect: Henriquez Partners Architects

Architect of Record: Diamond Schmitt Architects

Planner: Urban Strategies

Heritage Architect: ERA Architects

About TSA Building Tours 

Designed for architects by architects, the TSA Building Tours offer unique behind-the-scenes access to recently completed or under construction buildings across the GTA. Led by the team behind their design, these tours provide an opportunity to hear the stories behind the architecture and learn about the challenges and successes in ideating and realizing the vision for the building. 

TSA Building Tours are made possible thanks to the generous support of STEIN + REGENCY.