Toronto getting a soaring glass-enclosed food market

While the iconic kitsch palace that was Honest Ed's will be forever missed, new details about the development that'll replace it are starting to get more exciting.

Included in Westbank's most recent plans for a re-imagined Mirvish Village is a sprawling food market building that will become a focal point of the new Markham Street.

Inspired by Borough Market and Granville Island, the new market hall is proposed as a 20,000+ square foot space enclosed by a soaring glass ceiling. To put that in perspective, a NFL football field is 48,000 square feet from end zone to end zone.

The plan is to fill the space with 30 permanent vendors and as many as 40 temporary stalls on a year-round basis. While the market will be primarily housed indoors under the glass roof, there's amply space in front for seasonal stalls and seating.

Some vendors will have stalls that face out toward Markham St. as well as the interior of the market in an attempt to create a building that feels permeable and open.

"Mirvish Village Market will offer a culinary experience reflective of Toronto’s ethnic diversity and will draw from the rich resources of Southern Ontario’s craft food producers," according to Westbank.

Given the size and location of the new market, it's clear that it's no after thought. On the contrary, it's at the very heart of Westbank's new Mirvish Village and will go a long way towards animating the new space, particularly given a possible outdoor component in the summertime.

Westbank's plans for the site are still subject to city approval, but extensive modifications to earlier proposals in response to community consultation likely puts the company in a good position to proceed with much of its latest site plan.

Once formally approved, it'll take a number of years to build, so we'll have to wait patiently for the new market in the meantime.