The Bentway is set to expand with the transformation of even more dead space below Toronto's Gardiner Expressway.

On Thursday, The Bentway Conservancy, in partnership with the City of Toronto, revealed the next steps for the wildly popular urban reclamation project that revitalized lands below the busy expressway.

The expansion of the public space — to be known as The Bentway Islands — will convert an additional 11,500 square metres (125,000 square feet) of land below the Gardiner into a "sister site" for the initial phase of the project that opened in 2018.

The Bentway Islands will repurpose a group of three large-scale traffic islands between Dan Leckie Way and Spadina Avenue into an extension of the public space, described in a press release as a "new space for play, shared experiences and regenerative landscape."

New York-based Field Operations — a firm known for its contribution to Manhattan's beloved High Line — is working with Toronto's Brook McIlroy to design the new space, and the public is expected to see initial concepts for it unveiled in 2025.

Isabel Castilla, associate partner at Field Operations, stated that the firm's goal is "to create an iconic, vibrant and sustainable public space that embodies The Bentway's vision."

The design team selection process was overseen by a jury made up of representatives from The Bentway, the City of Toronto, the local community and an Indigenous engagement advisor.

"The Bentway Islands marks an exciting next chapter in our ongoing mission to solidify a new future for the Gardiner Expressway," says Ilana Altman, Co-Executive Director of The Bentway.

"This site will offer new opportunities for recreation, play, culture and retail, promote biodiversity, and set a benchmark for low-carbon landscape design," continued Altman, adding that "most importantly, it will continue to transform a long-standing barrier into a better connector and gateway."

Construction of this new phase will follow the multi-year rehabilitation project currently underway on the Gardiner Expressway, with initial funding provided by the City and support from The Bentway's donors.