2010 FCM Sustainable Communities Awards Winner — Brownfields: Overview

City of Toronto, Ontario

Adaptive Reuse of the Industrial Heritage Wychwood Car Barns

An excellent example of early 20th century industrial architecture, the Wychwood Car Barns site in midtown Toronto was used for many years by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to repair and maintain its streetcar fleet. The TTC vacated the premises in the 1980s and the property (five attached brick buildings built between 1913 and 1921 on a four-acre site) was left derelict for many years. Little progress was made in revitalizing the contaminated site until environmental and cultural objectives were established through an extensive community consultation process and a feasibility study. Rather than selling the property to a private developer, the city envisioned a balance of cultural, environmental and educational uses for the Barns.