MaRS and City of Toronto to open a dual residential-manufacturing complex

Jun 19 2019, 10:46 pm

The City of Toronto will soon house a new urban manufacturing space that doubles as a residential complex.

MaRs Discovery District is partnering with the city, George Brown College, and Refined Manufacturing Acceleration Process (ReMAP) to get the project underway, according to a press release.

The companies say the new space will be the first of its kind in North America.

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Set to open in July 2020 under real estate developer Fitzrovia, the complex will be located at 440 Dufferin Street, and its purpose will be two-fold: housing both the city’s growing population as well as its thriving community of technology innovators who need a space to develop their creativity and manufacture their products.

“This partnership with George Brown College, MaRS and ReMAP represents an opportunity to create a new one-of-a-kind manufacturing space in Toronto,” said Mayor John Tory, in a statement.

“Partnerships of this nature are key to creating more jobs and building a collaborative and innovative community within our city.”

The city requested proposals for such a project in 2018, and together, the collective proposal submitted by the three organizations was chosen.

The complex will consist of two fully residential buildings and one partially residential building which will house a 60,000 sq. ft. light-manufacturing space. Within this space, there will be a 14,500 sq. ft. manufacturing incubator. The incubator will run as an independent, non-profit organization operating through support from each of its innovation partners.

The project hopes to give up-and-coming entrepreneurs the space, tools, and resources necessary to accelerate and develop their creative workflow while keeping their manufacturing Toronto-based.

“Having a manufacturing hub in Toronto is important for two reasons: leveraging product design and product development in this geography; and developing new manufacturing processes in Toronto, both will ensure global competitiveness,” said Irene Sterian, president and CEO of ReMAP, in a statement.

“As new entrepreneurs approach the finish line, this manufacturing incubator will provide a space where creative and talented people can do things they never could have done otherwise.”

Ben BarakBen Barak

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