General Motors Building Mobility Campus in Toronto

General Motors is starting construction on a new development in downtown Toronto that combines research and development space with vehicle sales per Collision Repair Magazine. The GM Mobility Campus will be a seven acre complex and will include the following:

 - Office space

 - R&D facilities for urban mobility

 - GM vehicle sales and service space

 - Public areas showcasing innovations in mobility

The public experience area will include electric and autonomous vehicles, e-bikes and car-sharing. It will be an automotive innovation hub. 

According to CBC News, demolition at the site will begin later this month and construction should take two years to complete. 

The campus on Eastern Avenue in downtown Toronto will be the headquarters for Cadillac Canada sales and marketing and will house GM Canada Central Region offices. The dealership and service space for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac will embody about 40 percent of the Toronto GM Mobility Campus.

GM Canada earlier this year, opened the Canadian Technical Centre - Markham Campus. This facility focuses on software development and innovation in areas of next-generation active safety, in-car infotainment systems, and software and controls related to GM's development of self-driving vehicles.

Even though the automaker says it has done extensive community outreach, when a CBC Toronto team visited the area in Leslieville, some residents said it was the first they've heard of it.  A community notice went out recently announcing that GM will begin demolition on buildings at 721 Eastern Avenue by the end of the month, but residents say they were surprised to hear the company's plans for the site. Matthew Palmer, director of the special projects for GM Canada said the company consulted with the community during the planning stage. 

"There's a lot to it - it is more than just a dealership. You're going to see a multi-use space that certainly includes vehicle sales and service, but it's also going to include things like research and development activity and new approaches to mobility. We worked quite closely with the city of Toronto, with the local councillor and we did public community meetings and have had an active website since 2016. So, we've had a lot of community input in the design and in the overall process."

Director of Special Projects for GM Canada | Matthew Palmer

One big design element for the community is the creation of new green spaces and bike lanes that will connect that part of Leslieville and the Martin Goodman Waterfront Trail. Also, a new right of way will be created that will connect Eastern Avenue with Lake Shore Boulevard East.

While some residents are concerned about traffic congestion and road safety, others are happy that GM has committed to putting money into the new school playground. Many residents feel that this facility will create more jobs in the area.

GM expects to create more than 200 jobs but the whole complex will employ ten times that number according to Palmer. 

According to Quadrangle, the architects on this project, the campus will front along Lakeshore Boulevard East and the south half of the seven acre property will house a 160,000 square foot building comprised of a lower level podium that will rise to five stories, with three wings offering panoramic views of Lake Ontario and downtown Toronto.

DataBid is currently reporting on this project - GM Canada 721 Eastern Avenue - Phase 1 Mobility Campus - Toronto (0017041118). Also see 0023041118 for Phase 2 portion of this project.