Gleaner

Serving Toronto's most liveable community with the Annex Gleaner

← →

NEWS: Mirvish Village project inching toward completion (Apr. 2025)

April 22nd, 2025 · No Comments

COVID, supply chain costs, lawsuits slow project’s completion

By Ben Hohener & Amna Ahmad 

Mirvish Village inches toward completion. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS

In the final days of 2016, Torontonians said goodbye to what was considered a city landmark,  the iconic Honest Ed’s department store whose neon presence occupied the southwest corner of Bloor and Bathurst for decades. The replacement for the store was to come soon, an ambitious project melding residential accommodation for up to 2500 residents with commercial space. Over eight years later, the site is still unfinished. 

After years of unfinished infrastructure lining Bloor and Bathurst Streets, there has been recent progress on the site. 

The project will be a 100 per cent purpose-built rental community. But the question remains: when is it going to be finished?

“Like many businesses and most development projects, the project was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Ian Duke, head of the development group at Westbank. 

The project faced issues from supply chain disruptions , resulting in construction delays. Westbank Corp., the developer behind Mirvish Village, has faced multiple lawsuits related to this project and others. Notably, four construction companies have sued Westbank for over $25 million for unpaid work on the project. EllisDon, the general contractor, vacated the site and is seeking $8.7 million in unpaid bills.

“The construction has been challenging locally, for businesses and our residents,” said Melanie Ramsey, co-ordinator of the Mirvish Village BIA. “The BIA’s role is to support people and businesses, new and existing. When the time comes, it’ll be a great reopening.”

However, construction is now on track according to the developer, and the first two occupancy phases are complete. Commercial tenants like Niagara College, LCBO, Stretch Lab, and BMO have moved in, along with residents in the first building at 748 Bathurst St. Completion dates for the whole project have not been stated; however, the remaining residential components of the project should be complete by spring or early summer, with the other non-residential areas to follow.  

“Mirvish Village isn’t a typical redevelopment project—it’s a natural extension of the neighbourhood and designed to include a mix of uses that will bring the community together…We see Mirvish Village as a place for everyone, including our neighbours,” said Duke. 

With the lack of affordable housing in Toronto right now, affordable rental spaces are more welcome than ever. The Mirvish Village project comprises six rental buildings with 916 units, of which 366 are designated as affordable housing. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is providing $200 million in federal financing to support these affordable units. In Canada, housing is considered “affordable” if it costs less than 30 per cent of a household’s before-tax income. By providing this financing, the federal government, through CMHC, is ensuring that a significant portion of the Mirvish Village development is dedicated to affordable housing.

The project has begun offering leases and currently 85 units are available. A distinct aspect of the Mirvish Village development is the inclusion of multiple-bedroom units which can  accommodate families. The project is offering over 200,000 square feet of retail which will include a new park and The Kitchen, a vast marketplace selling everything from groceries in the food hall to vinyl in the music venue. Described as an extensive public realm, the space includes 24 restored heritage buildings. There will be numerous indoor and outdoor performances, lights, and public art installations, including a mural by artist Frank Stella. It sounds like an extensive, ambitious endeavour, and many in the community are excited for its long-awaited opening.

“At the end of the tunnel, the promises of what we will have added to the community will be huge,” said Ramsey.

—With files from Ammara Khan

READ MORE:

Tags: Annex · News