Developers in Toronto are determined to transform an old, defunct airport into a thriving city center. The former Downsview Airport, a multi-story airport, is now set to become a $22 billion project to provide new businesses, community parks, and housing for up to 55,000 people. The engineer overseeing the project called it “the largest of its kind in North America.”
Downsview Airport, covering 370 acres, was opened early 1929 again served as a Canadian air base during World War II. In recent years, it has served as the base of operations for Bombardier, one of the world’s largest airline companies. The site was sold in 2018 for $635 million and is now in the process of being redeveloped.
Northcrest Developers, the company behind the project, envisions a thriving downtown that will retain many of the original airport buildings, including the runway and 11 aircraft hangars. “In the coming decades, we will transform these underdeveloped countries into a series of prosperous areas. Connected to each other, through a combination of housing options, new jobs in growing industries, new business opportunities, access to parks, community centers and services, we will create an exciting new place in Toronto,” says the company’s website.
As an example of how the original airport infrastructure will be written into the DNA of the new project, the developers want to transform the building’s runway into a pedestrian walkway that can connect people to the seven different areas planned for the project. At the same time, the original aircraft hangars could be places where companies could work, a Northcrest executive told Business Insider. Developers also say the project will create up to 40,000 new jobs.
Many people have been trying to build new cities lately. In particular, celebrities (such as Kanye West and Akon) and wealthy Bay Area tech executives (California Forever) have tried to pour money into new urban projects. Generally, these projects go well. The gap between developers’ wishes and practical reality is often too great to bridge.
Unlike many of these projects, the Downsview project builds on existing, unused infrastructure. It also has a more realistic timeline than some of the more ambitious projects announced in recent years. The first “phase” of the Downsview project is expected to be completed by 2026, although developers don’t expect the urban area to be fully completed for 30 years.
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