Total Area: 150 ha
Office space: 603,800 m2
Number of companies: 1400
Number of towers: 40
Number of employees: 25,000

Toronto’s Waterfront has grown substantially in recent decades from a primarily industrial area to now include significant office expansion southward from the central financial district, landmark parks such as Sugar Beach and Love Park, and an expanded tourism industry, including boat trips connecting to the scenic Toronto Islands. There are more than 30,000 residents and 25,000 employees working along the 4km water’s edge street, Queens Quay, with significant growth still to come. The Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport managed by PortsToronto is also directly on the waterfront and accessible to Queens Quay by a tunnel or “the world’s shortest ferry trip.”

Significant investments have been made by all three levels of government through an urban development corporation, Waterfront Toronto, with a major revitalization of Toronto’s Port Lands that has just begun – another 150,000 residents are expected along the waterfront corridor once plans are fully realized. The waterfront also includes a major arts, culture and recreation site, the Harbourfront Centre, including the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, boat tours, as well as stages, workshops and studios for artists. As the waterfront was historically divided from the City by an elevated expressway, initiatives such as The Bentway Conservancy have been founded to revitalize and activate underpass areas to provide more welcoming and safe connectivity between the city and the water.

The Waterfront Business Improvement Area (BIA) is an agency of the City of Toronto with a mandate to support the development of its area as a premier destination that is well-connected to the city and beautiful and vibrant all year-round. The organization aims to support businesses, engage the community and unify the waterfront.

Programs and initiatives include cleaning and on-street issue reporting, promotion of local businesses, and events to activate and promote exploration of the fast-growing neighbourhood. The BIA also engages in policy and advocacy initiatives on behalf of the business community toward transportation investment and public realm planning. Recent reports include an internally-produced Waterfront Retail Review to identify areas for further improvement in unifying the water’s edge experience, and ‘Ripple Effect,’ a report with The Business of Cities and Toronto Region Board of Trade outlining projects and stakeholder collaborations to support Toronto’s waterfront as a competitive advantage for the city’s business, tourism, student and resident communities.