Toronto Rail Yards is a proposed mixed-use community planned above the Bathurst North Rail Yard in downtown Toronto. Once complete, it will transform unused air space into a new transit-connected neighbourhood designed for the future of a growing city.

The current vision includes nearly 4,000 homes of different sizes and types, an office tower, retail space, two childcare centres and more than two acres of urban park space. Planned around direct access to the future Spadina Front GO Station, the community is designed to support how people move through the city today, with space to live, work, gather and connect.

Toronto needs more housing, especially in the downtown core where available land is limited. Toronto Rail Yards creates new space above existing rail infrastructure to help deliver housing, public space and community amenities in one of the most connected parts of the city.

By building above the rail corridor, the project can accommodate growth without displacing existing neighbourhoods or infrastructure. It also represents a new approach to city building, transforming underused air space into an opportunity to reconnect communities, support transit-oriented growth and make better use of the land and infrastructure already in place.

Toronto Rail Yards is designed as a complete community. The proposal includes new urban park space, pedestrian and cycling connections, retail at street level and along the promenade, and community-focused amenities like childcare centres and gathering spaces.

The goal is to create a place that feels open, connected and active, improving how people move through, spend time in, and experience this part of downtown.

Because the project is being built above an active rail yard, Toronto Rail Yards is being planned in close consultation with Metrolinx to support future GO Expansion work while maintaining safe and reliable rail operations. 

The proposal has also been refined to preserve flexibility for future transit infrastructure planning as the city continues to grow.

The project includes more than two acres of urban park space designed for everyday use and community gathering. The vision includes shaded seating areas, playgrounds, pedestrian and cycling pathways, outdoor cafés and flexible spaces that can support farmers markets, festivals, busking, and local programming.

The open space is intended to become a shared downtown destination that brings new energy and activity to the neighbourhood.

The current timeline anticipates site preparation beginning in 2028, followed by construction of the deck above the rail yard. Deck construction is expected to take approximately three to three-and-a-half years.

The deck will be delivered first, creating the foundation for future buildings, public spaces and community amenities to be developed in phases over time.

Construction over an active rail corridor is complex, and the project team is working closely with Metrolinx to coordinate timing, logistics and safety requirements.

As the project advances, proactive communication and mitigation measures will be put in place to help reduce impacts on surrounding communities. A construction liaison process will also be established so neighbours can stay informed and raise concerns directly with the project team.

Community feedback has helped shape the project since its beginning. Input from residents and stakeholders has informed updates to public space planning, site connections, streetscape improvements and the overall design approach.

There will continue to be opportunities for engagement as the project progresses into future phases, including engagement opportunities around public spaces and public art.

Toronto Rail Yards is owned by the LiUNA Pension Fund of Central and Eastern Canada (LiUNA) and managed by Fengate Asset Management (Fengate). Together, LiUNA and Fengate are co-developing Toronto Rail Yards alongside a multidisciplinary group of architects, engineers, planners and construction experts.