Ontario Construction News staff writer
Toronto’s city council has approved the winning design for a new park in downtown Toronto. The design, named Wàwàtesí, which translates to “firefly” in Anishinaabemowin, was selected from five shortlisted proposals.
The design was created by West 8 Urban Design and Landscape Architecture, in collaboration with hcma Architecture and Design, Native Art Department International, MinoKamik Collective, ARUP, KG&A, ERA Architects, and A.W. Hooker and will see a 2,600-sq. m. park built at 229 Richmond St. W., in the city’s Entertainment District.
The park, which was previously a surface parking lot, aims to offer a green oasis in the midst of the city and will include a performance area, public art, landscape and light features inspired by the forest, in an effort to transport visitors away from downtown. Construction on the park is expected to begin in 2025.
The winning design was selected by a jury of design, landscape architecture, and Indigenous experts, as well as the public.
The city has acquired the site in 2019 for the purpose of building the park and will be hosting a competition to choose a permanent name for the new park at a later stage.
“With approximately 16,000 residents residing within a 0.5 km radius and 52,000 people working in the vicinity, this transformative project addresses the growing demand for parkland in the rapidly expanding neighbourhood,” says the city of Toronto in a statement.