Save this picture! Looking Southwest toward the development. Image © Wilkinson Eyre Architects for Hines; via UrbanToronto.ca

Details have been leaked of a major new development on the Southern edge of downtown Toronto, just East of Union Station. The scheme, uncovered by UrbanToronto and its inquisitive users, involves the connection of sites on both sides of the railway tracks, and will include three towers and a pedestrian bridge featuring a park and retail space. It is understood that Wilkinson Eyre are the architects, after BD confirmed last week that they have recently won a major competition in Toronto.

Read on for more details of the project

Save this picture! Looking Southwest toward the development. Image © Wilkinson Eyre Architects for Hines; via UrbanToronto.ca

The renderings, which appeared on the website of development company Hines but have now been removed, show three towers up to 60 stories tall, featuring a diagrid facade with faceted glass inserts. A fourth building appears to extend from the roof of the Dominion Public Building, a 1935 neoclassical building which is on Canada's National Register of Historic Places and houses federal government offices.

In addition to these buildings, the City of Toronto zoning review notice confirms that the first phase of the project, on the South side of the railway tracks, would include a major new bus terminal serving Union Station.

The bridge across the railway is also shown on the renders, although it is unclear exactly what functions this bridge will host: while the City of Toronto's Zoning Review describes an ambition to develop a park over the tracks, the renders clearly show a building which would most likely serve a retail function.

UrbanToronto caveats the unofficial images with the statement: "It is possible that the renderings represent an earlier and more ambitious plan for the redevelopment without a park, or a final build-out where the park is hidden behind the second and third towers and associated podiums in these views. Another City of Toronto zoning review notice mentions a four-storey building to be built north of the park... All of this is very preliminary. Whether the renderings are up-to-date or not has not yet been determined by UrbanToronto."

Story via UrbanToronto