Impressive community centre to be the jewel in Toronto neighbourhood's rebuild

A long-term revitalization is reshaping Toronto's Lawrence Heights community, replacing dilapidated old social housing townhouse blocks with new, higher-density residential accommodating a mix of incomes.

Following the successful model established with Regent Park's redevelopment, the Toronto Community Housing (TCH)-led Lawrence Heights Revitalization is in the process of completely transforming the neighbourhood block by block.

The centrepiece of this rebuilt community will be a new Community Recreation Centre and Child Care Centre at the intersection of Varna Drive and Hooyo Terrace. This new facility features a design from CS&P Architects and Two Row Architect that blends modern and traditional Indigenous aesthetics.

The community centre component will offer the surrounding neighbourhood several features, including a six-lane, 25-metre pool, a double gymnasium, fitness studios, and spaces dedicated to social services and Indigenous Placekeeping.

An attached child care centre would accommodate 88 children across various age groups, offering a kitchen, laundry room and universal washrooms.

The project has been advancing behind the scenes since late 2022, and has reached some key design and planning milestones in the last few months.

Back in March, $25 million in federal and City funding was announced for the construction of the new Lawrence Heights Community Recreation and Child Care Centre.

Most recently, design details were revealed during a May 15 presentation to the City of Toronto's Design Review Panel, where the project was shown off by representatives from Toronto Community Planning; Urban Design; Parks, Forestry and Recreation; and project designers CS&P Architects; Two Row Architect; and PMA Landscape Architects.

City representatives declined to provide high-resolution renderings of this first glimpse at the new community amenity, stating that the "project is in early stages and is a work in progress."

The new community and child care centre is also targeting Net Zero emissions, aligning with the City's goal to reach carbon-neutral status by 2050.

Construction is anticipated to begin in 2026 and conclude in 2028.