The Ontario Science Centre as Torontonians once knew it won’t be returning to Don Mills, but its iconic former home could still have a future as one of the city’s coolest new public destinations.
A new community report is laying out a potential path forward for the huge property at 770 Don Mills Rd., imagining how its buildings, gathering spaces and ravine setting could once again welcome visitors! Key to the proposal is that the province transfer ownership of the building to the city, which is part of what Couns. Jon Burnside and Josh Matlow are requesting in their upcoming motion before the council.
The report, titled Reimagining the Future of the Former Ontario Science Centre, was spearheaded by Save Ontario’s Science Centre, Moriyama Teshima Architects and Matlow and Burnside following a series of public consultations held throughout the spring.
More than 400 people participated in the consultations, offering suggestions for how the former space could be used. The vision would transform the site into a multipurpose public destination centred around learning, culture and community programming. Suggestions include everything from workshops, courses and community gardens to performance venues, rec facilities and meeting spaces. Some envisioned a destination similar to Evergreen Brick Works, while others proposed adding a district library or using parts of the building for school and outdoor education programming.
The building’s Great Hall, former auditorium and outdoor plaza could host concerts, theatre productions, public events, citizenship ceremonies and even weddings. Participants also expressed interest in keeping the IMAX theatre, maybe even using it to screen educational films and the occasional blockbuster.
Another popular idea involved creating a public route through the building, letting visitors enter from Don Mills Road, cross its famous bridge and descend into E.T. Seton Park and the surrounding ravine!
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In any case, there’s a lot of room to work with. The entire site covers about 50 acres, while its collection of buildings contains around 568,000 square feet of floor space. The report argues that the property could accommodate multiple uses and reopen gradually in phases rather than all at once.
And right now, everything remains a vision. The province owns the buildings, while the City of Toronto and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority own the land beneath them, meaning the different parties would need to work together before anything could move forward.
Next up: a motion bringing the findings before Toronto City Council will be considered during council’s July 29 to 31 meeting.