City Council to consider heritage demolition and 49-storey tower at 835-839 Yonge Street, with facade conservation
City Council is being asked to approve demolition of heritage attributes and alterations at the designated heritage properties at 835-839 Yonge Street (the former Grand Central Market site) under the Ontario Heritage Act, paired with a proposal for a mixed-use development with towers up to 49 storeys, 922 residential units, and a heritage easement agreement. The decision affects a prominent downtown heritage site and a major residential development at a visible Yonge-Church intersection.
not yet heardToronto City Council · Wed, Jul 29You can weigh inProvince decides
Also in this item
• The proposed development would retain only the west and south facades of the 1935 Spanish Colonial Revival Grand Central Market building, demolishing all other existing structures and the surface parking lot to make way for two residential towers.
• Heritage Planning staff indicate they are satisfied the development conserves onsite and adjacent heritage properties and is consistent with existing policy, with heritage impacts mitigated through the overall conservation strategy.
Residents may depute at City Council or submit written comments before the vote. The agenda is published; the meeting date is 2026-07-29.
Why is this story here?
Big deal at city hallThis decision authorizes demolition of designated heritage attributes under the Ontario Heritage Act and alters a prominent heritage property in downtown Toronto. The decision is hard to reverse (heritage once demolished cannot be restored) and affects the shape of a significant downtown site and future uses of a designated property. It also commits the city to a heritage easement agreement. The scope is single-site (not structural), but the permanence and reversibility threshold meet Stakes 2-3 range; the bounded geography (one property, one development) argues Stakes 2 rather than 3.Touches a narrow groupThe item affects residents and workers at a specific high-visibility downtown intersection (Yonge and Church/Davenport). The heritage conservation strategy and the resulting built form may affect the character and visual appearance of that area for residents who use Yonge Street or live nearby, but the salience is geographically confined to those with direct connection to this intersection. Most Toronto residents do not encounter this site in an ordinary week. The item does not affect a citywide system, fare, service level, or safety measure. Salience is 1 (indirect or narrow).
Stories are ordered by how much weight a decision carries and how directly it reaches daily life. They rise as a decision date approaches and fall as they age.
Official title: 835 to 839 Yonge Street - Alterations to Designated Heritage Properties and Demolition of Heritage Attributes on Designated Heritage Properties under Sections 33 and 34(1)1 of the Ontario Heritage Act and Authority to Enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement · meeting video