That time Toronto almost got a $1B complex with an indoor theme park
Long before Downsview became the site of one of Toronto's biggest redevelopment projects, the area was envisioned as the home of a futuristic, $1 billion attraction that promised to transform North York into a year-round destination — and, as audacious as it was, the project never came to fruition.
Officially referred to as "Destination Technodome," the late-1990s proposal was part sports complex, part amusement park, and part futuristic entertainment centre, all under the roof of one massive, indoor recreation hub on the former Downsview Airport lands.
Proponents of the project hoped that the colossal attraction would rival some of the world's biggest attractions, and generate significant revenue for the region.
Despite years of planning, discussions, and plenty of support, the mega-project never actually made it past the proposal stage, and disagreements over land ownership ultimately led developers to seek out an alternative location in Montreal (which also happened to fall through).
In 1997, then-North York mayor Mel Lastman proposed turning the area into a major entertainment destination, and the project was quickly championed by Heathmount Entertainment, an entertainment development company created by members of the affluent Reichmann family.
According to 1998 City documents, the 2.5 million square foot complex would offer activities like downhill skiing, snowboarding, hockey, tennis, volleyball, basketball, swimming, canoeing and kayaking.
Site of the proposed Technodome development within the Downsview lands, shaded in red. Image via City of Toronto.
Other proposed features included virtual reality attractions and rides, an IMAX theatre, cinemas, a rainforest, restaurants, a 12,500-seat arena, themed retail stores, and three hockey arenas for local leagues.
Diagram of the Technodome development and surrounding uses. Image via City of Toronto.
The massive complex was proposed to have a footprint roughly 15 per cent larger than the SkyDome, and would be located on approximately 75 acres of land at the southwest corner of Sheppard Avenue and Allen Road, beside Downsview subway station (now called Sheppard West station).
Gateway structures of at least 25 metres in height would have marked the entrance to this major attraction. Image via City of Toronto.
Despite its potential to boost the region's economy, the project was ultimately scrapped for several reasons, one being disagreements over land ownership. The developer, Heathmount, said it would look into Montreal as an alternative option, after the federal agency in charge of the Downsview site said the area could only be leased, and not sold to the developer.
The project also faced backlash from local residents, who pointed to potential traffic and environmental impacts as reasons to scrap the proposal.
Ironically, the same lands that were once earmarked for the proposed Technodome are now being transformed into YZD, one of North America's largest urban redevelopment projects, that's set to create thousands of homes, parks, cultural spaces, and businesses on the 370-acre former Downsview Airport lands.
Detailed images of the Technodome proposal are particularly difficult to track down these days, but you can still get a pretty good idea of what the megaproject would have looked like through footage of a scale model produced during the planning stages.
