It has been a couple of months since we last provided an update on Toronto's ongoing Grange Park revitalization. Scheduled to formally re-open on July 8th—with fences coming down for a soft opening planned for Mid-June—the new park will re-introduce a prominent gathering space to the urban core.

View of the park from OCAD, image by Momin Ahmad

The $11 million dollar revitalization project, funded by the Weston Family, the AGO, and the City of Toronto, is designed by PFS Studios (with Thinc Design as Executive Architects). Once the revitalization is complete this Summer, the park will feature new water features and play areas built by Earthscape, 60 new trees, a series of walking paths, a dog run, and a central paved gathering place. The park will also be the new location of Henry Moore's Large Two Forms, being moved by the AGO from the corner of Dundas and McCaul.

Grange park nearing completion, image by Stefan Novakovic

Located right behind the AGO, and just west of OCAD University, Grange Park fronts onto the southeast corner of Dundas and Beverley. Once the park opens, it will be also connected to Butterfield Park, the small open space located beneath the south end of OCAD's cantilevered 'tabletop' building. This will help foster a strengthened link between the public space, the gallery to its north, and McCaul Street, creating greater permeability through Toronto's Baldwin Village neighbourhood in the years to come.

View of Grange Park with the AGO and OCAD University in the background

Recent images show that Grange Park is nearing completion, with final touches being added, and the showpiece playground—described by Councillor Joe Cressy as "the coolest playground in the city"—seen taking shape below. The grading and sodding of the lawn is now nearly finished, with the majority of park furniture installed, and the washroom/maintenance building also recently completed.

View of future playground, image by Stefan Novakovic

Additional information and images can be found in our dataBase file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment using the field provided at the bottom of this page.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article previously noted that the re-opening of the park was scheduled for July 1st, not July 8th.