Toronto's latest architectural showpiece is on the verge of completing construction, but it wasn't an easy process leading up to the forthcoming opening of the new St. Lawrence Market North building at 92 Front Street East.

St. Lawrence Market North has endured over 25 years of planning, delays, construction, and even more delays. But after a quarter century of waiting, the public will soon be able to enjoy this new landmark on the northwest corner of Front and Jarvis.

The five-storey structure — designed by U.K.-based architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners working alongside local firm Adamson Associates Architects — is set to provide a new permanent home for the Farmer's Market (housed in a temporary tent since 2016) on its ground floor, with new Toronto Court Services courtrooms and administrative offices above.

Fareen Karim

Replacement of the 1967-built North Market building was first discussed in 1998 and finally began in 2015 with the demolition of the previous low-rise building. Almost a decade later, the years of planning, construction, and budget overruns are finally about to pay off.

Fences around the new market building came down this fall as finishing touches continued to take shape inside, but as of late November, an opening date for the north market has not yet been announced.

The City of Toronto last published an update on the project in June, at which point construction was deemed 98 per cent complete with few major tasks outstanding.

As of November, a project page still states that "construction is expected to be ready for tenants to move in by Fall 2024, subject to contractor progress. Each tenant will then begin customizing their space for the public opening to follow."

Fareen Karim

But on November 20, a City of Toronto representative informed blogTO that "In the coming weeks, the new North Market building will be progressing through phased tenant occupancy for City services" and confirmed that "building tenants will move into the North Market through the fall and winter."

"North Market programming and events are expected to begin in the spring of 2025, and further details on a grand opening and farmers market-related program will be available in the coming months."

Jack Landau

Other recent news sheds light on the process of moving tenants into the new landmark in the coming months.

A recent October meeting of the Toronto Parking Authority (TPA) revealed that its latest parking garage set to open within the underground levels of the new market building is being transferred to the TPA this quarter ahead of opening to meet local parking demand at a yet-to-be-announced date in the near future.

Another tenant has announced it will also move in at some point in the coming months, with the Toronto Court Services website explaining that the existing South Court at Old City Hall will move into the North Market building in early 2025.

Meanwhile, with construction fencing down and the building looking all but complete to passersby, private security guards currently guard the impressive structure's main entrance and roam the perimeter as the building is readied for its new life.

Jack Landau

Despite its impressive design and the quarter-century of planning it took to get to this point, the project's escalating price tag has been a cause for concern among City bean counters. 

With construction just two per cent from the finish line this past June, it was revealed that another $9.5 million in emergency spending was required to complete the market. It will now cost taxpayers a staggering $128 million for this long-awaited public building.

That cost may seem astronomical, but, for comparison, it is less than half of the inflation-adjusted price of City Hall, which would have cost shy of $300 million to construct in 2024 dollars.