New Ontario Place renderings show above-ground, waterfront parking garage

The Ford government has released what it says are finalized renderings for the controversial Ontario Place redevelopment, including a large, above-ground parking structure on the edge of Lake Ontario.

A map released alongside the renderings confirms a parking garage will be built just to the east of the complex’s main entrance, while a private spa being built by the Austrian company Therme will occupy most of the west island.

The renderings show the spa development, which has sparked controversy for the government ever since it was announced, will dominate the west island.

A curvy glass structure dotted with trees will host the indoor water attraction, connecting to the mainland and entrance on Lake Shore Drive through a large bridge.

Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma said construction could begin on the spa as early as spring 2026.

A Live Nation performance venue will take up the central island, with a marina built behind it. Parkland will be scattered across the development, with the creation of new beaches and areas to walk.

The site will also host the new Ontario Science Centre location after its old site at Don Mills Road and Eglinton Avenue was closed last year.

The release of the new renderings confirms the government will build an above-ground parking structure at Ontario Place between Lake Shore Drive and Lake Ontario.

The province had briefly considered moving the parking structure northwards to Exhibition Place to avoid blocking waterfront views.

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The premier had also mused about the benefits of an underground versus above-ground structure, weighing cost against the garage blocking people’s view of the iconic waterfront destination.

It is, however, bound by strict contractual obligations to Therme, which means it cannot move the parking more than 650 metres away from the site.

In a news release on Tuesday, the province said the above-ground structure at the waterfront was targeted to cost less than $400 million to build. The province had previously estimated that adding 2,000 parking spots would cost $307 million.

Premier Doug Ford said he hoped the garage would be a “revenue generator,” which provincial calculations predict could bring in $60 million in gross revenue once Ontario Place is at “full operation.”

The government is pushing to open Ontario Place and its various components in 2029 and could open it “in stages.”

Surma said construction on the different parts of the project could take place at the same time. Work on the spa can begin next spring, and a new science center could take place next spring and summer, as well.

Ford said he wanted to get construction wrapped up in three years to open in 2029.

Premier Ford repeated his excitement at Therme’s plan to build a spa on Tuesday, a project which has generated a series of controversies for the government.

Most recently, a New York Times investigation alleged Therme misrepresented itself as a bigger company with a longer track record to land the initial deal.

Previously, the auditor general found Infrastructure Ontario had failed to properly assess Therme’s application in a report released at the end of last year.

“We found that IO did not conduct due diligence to ensure that spas cited by Therme in its submissions were in fact owned and operated by Therme Group,” the auditor general wrote in a report released in late 2024.

“In its submission, Therme stated that ‘Therme group has proven success of its concept with six globally placed facilities under operation.’ We reviewed the six spas and found five instances where the spa cited in the submission was not owned or operated by Therme Group.”

The deal Therme landed was a 95-year lease with the government to run its private business on public land, and included expensive cancellation or late delivery penalties for the province.

Questions were also raised about the unusual bidding process implemented for the redevelopment and the commitment Ontario has made to build parking spots for the facility. The government is set to spend more than $2 billion to help get the spa underway.

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