Toronto car dealership that overlooked highway for decades is being demolished
A familiar sight for passing motorists on Toronto's Don Valley Parkway (DVP) is being torn down after more than two decades.
The BMW dealership at 11 Sunlight Park Rd., just east of the DVP, is in the process of being demolished, marking an end to the location's 23-year history.
However, the building itself actually has a history going back roughly three-quarters of a century.
The building that has housed the dealership since 2003 was first constructed as a soap manufacturing facility back in the 1950s. It was later stripped down to its structural skeleton and redesigned by architects Quadrangle into the glass-walled dealership that motorists have grown quite familiar with over the past two decades.
Demolition of the former dealership is helping to set the stage for Waterfront Toronto's Broadview and Eastern Flood Protection project, which will continue the waterfront development agency's long-term plan to protect the Don River floodplain.
Waterfront Toronto
A massive landform will be built just north of the railway corridor on the east side of the Don River, which includes the current footprint of the BWM dealership.
The flagship location for the German auto manufacturer shut down in early 2026 ahead of the demolition, relocating its operations to a new dealership at 740 Dundas St. E. back in March.
Local photographer Kotsy captured scenes of the teardown this week, showing that a large portion of the building has already been razed.
Crews are working Monday to Friday, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., to reduce the closed dealership to rubble.
Waterfront Toronto anticipates that demolition of the former car dealership will be completed by Nov. 30, 2026.
