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Speaker Presentations:
John Campbell
David Gerofsky
Avi Tesciuba

In Partnership with: 

The Revitalization of Toronto’s Waterfront: Unlocking its Development Potential

Toronto’s waterfront history has been long and varied. Beginning in the 1960s the out-migration of industry marked a pivotal point as the focus on port-related and other industrial uses became obsolete. Over time it became apparent that a long-term plan for the underused waterfront lands was is order. Today, Waterfront Toronto is leading a massive 25-year, 800-hectare development plan set to transform the face of the city.

On November 18, over 300 people gathered to engage with key players in the development of Toronto’s waterfront in a panel discussion at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. Panelists included the President and CEO of Waterfront Toronto, John Campbell; David Gerofsky, President and COO of Great Gulf; and Avi Tescubia, Managing Director of Hines Canada.

“It is not very often you get a whole piece of the city to develop,” said Tescubia, as he and rest of the panel articulated a long-term vision for a development aimed reclaiming the waterfront for the people of Toronto.  Topics included the cooperation of various levels of government with the development community, the development and integration of public space on the waterfront, the integration of affordable housing, and environmental sustainability. As one of the most sustainable city building projects in the world, Waterfront Toronto uses the LEED Gold standard as benchmark for sustainable development. Central to the panel discussion was the need for investment in transportation infrastructure to support the proposed massive mixed-use development, and attract the brightest minds to venture outside of the downtown core.

Curious audience members questioned the panel about how Waterfront Toronto attracts development, and how the pitfalls of the Canary Warf development in London would be avoided in Toronto. The panel agreed that cooperation between the public and private sector in order to minimize risk and to put the necessary transit infrastructure in place is pivotal to attract development.

Characterized by Tescubia as the “best site in Canada,” it is clear that Toronto’s waterfront stands to undergo the most exciting and dramatic transformations Toronto has ever seen.