Project Updates & Construction Notices

• June 2, 2023: Devonshire Place. The City of Toronto is relocating a fire hydrant along Devonshire Place near St. Hilda’s College. In addition, U of T construction work has also started near the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport (on the north end of Devonshire Place). Please note, the City may periodically close Devonshire Place (one direction and/or both directions) to vehicular traffic, and pedestrians should follow marked walking paths. Please exercise caution when travelling along Devonshire Place.
• May 18, 2023: The Lawson Centre for Sustainability reaches a construction milestone! Concrete has been poured for the first of two crane bases and the second will be completed this week. There is still plenty of work to be done to prepare the foundation, but soon both cranes will be erected, marking the exciting start of excavation before building upwards.
• May 8, 2023: Stormwater retention tank installed in the north field. This large underground reservoir will collect water during periods of heavy rainfall, ensuring that the field will not flood. The collected rainwater will drain back into the building’s water system where it will be reused to flush toilets, and eventually be discharged through the City’s sanitation system.
• May 1, 2023: North door and gate reopen. Construction along the north edge of Trinity College (6 Hoskin Ave.) is complete and the door north of the Combination Room and the north gate of the Quad have reopened.
• April 17, 2023: Temporary closure of the north door and gate of Trinity College (6 Hoskin Ave). As of Monday, April 17, there will be no access into or out of the building through the door north of the Combination Room or the north gate of the Quad for up to two weeks due to construction activity. Please enter through the west and main doors. Emergency exits will be clearly marked in these areas, please follow signage as posted and check back for regular updates.
• April 11, 2023: Laneway south of Varsity Stadium reopens. Work on the site services in the northeast corner of the construction site is complete, and Graham Construction has resurfaced the original road serving the Varsity Centre. Please note: There is still no pedestrian access on this road. The pedestrian walkway directly south of the Varsity Centre between Devonshire Place and Philosopher’s Walk will be maintained for the duration of the project (see map, below).
• April 5, 2023: Gerald Larkin Building classrooms to serve as construction office. We are happy to welcome Graham Construction to the second floor of the Larkin Building. Two classrooms overlooking the construction site will serve as Graham’s office for the remainder of the construction of the Lawson Centre for Sustainability.

• March 31, 2023: Geothermal installation complete. In December 2022, rigs began drilling the geothermal boreholes for the Lawson Centre for Sustainability’s renewable heating and cooling system. A total of 57 boreholes were drilled, which is equal to 11 km worth of geothermal exchange capacity. All tie-ins were finished at the end of March 2023. The tie-ins will be connected to the new building once construction is finished.
• February 21, 2023: Phase 2 of the Lawson Centre for Sustainability to begin imminently. Graham Construction has installed a temporary road through the site for emergency and authorized vehicle access only to the Varsity Centre. Please note there is no pedestrian access on the temporary road. The pedestrian walkway directly south of the Varsity Centre between Devonshire Place and Philosopher’s Walk will be maintained for the duration of the project (see map below).
• February 7, 2023: Pedestrian access modifications. There will be ongoing modifications to the pedestrian access north of Strachan Hall and the Combination Room area this month, including an increase in construction traffic in the laneway over the remainder of this week. Access will be maintained during this period. Please follow signage as posted and check back for regular updates.
• Starting January 2023: Construction activity increases. There will be more traffic, including trucks entering and existing the construction zone, along with intermittent periods of loud or disruptive work. During working hours, construction workers are stationed at the entry/exit route on Devonshire Place to assist with truck traffic. Please travel safely along Devonshire Place. Thank you for your patience.

• December 19, 2022: Geothermal drilling begins. Rigs are in place to start drilling the 200-metre-deep boreholes. There are a total of 57 boreholes to be drilled, which equals 11 km worth of geothermal-exchange capacity.
• December 5, 2022: Excess soil removal. Topsoil is being removed in preparation for geothermal drilling. Expect increased truck traffic and noise on site.
• October 3, 2022: Construction mobilization begins on-site. At this time site access will be limited—please see the drop-down menu below for more information about Campus Accessibility. During construction, there will be lots of activity across our campus, including increased traffic in various areas and some intermittent periods of loud or disruptive work.
• October 2, 2022: Trinity’s parking lot is closed permanently. Trinity College paid parking spaces will no longer be available after this date. There are nearby parking facilities at the OISE above-ground parking lot (71 Prince Arthur Ave.) and the St. George underground parking lot (107 St. George St.)

• Light Blue dotted line: Pedestrian path providing campus access – see items #1 and #4 below
• Dark Blue dotted line: Pedestrian path providing barrier-free campus access – see items #2 and #3 below
• Pink dotted line: Pedestrian path connecting Philosopher’s Walk and Devonshire Place – see item #5 below
• Shaded red area: No pedestrian access – indicates the approximate location of the construction site boundaries: south of the Varsity Stadium lane; west of Philosopher’s Walk; north of Trinity College proper and the Gerald Larkin Building; and east of the George Ignatieff Theatre and the former parking lot.

1. Campus Access: Trinity College main entrance at 6 Hoskin Avenue (during operating hours)
2. Barrier-Free Campus Access from Hoskin Avenue: north through the laneway between Trinity College and the Graham Library/Munk School
3. Barrier-Free Campus Access from Devonshire Place: through the Munk School North Building (1 Devonshire Place) – main entrance and the northeast rear entrance
4. Campus Access: along the south side of the Gerald Larkin Building at 15 Devonshire Place
5. Connection between Philosopher’s Walk and Devonshire Place: along the existing covered walkway of the Varsity Centre and along the designated path to Philosopher’s Walk
6. Henderson Gate, Trinity Quad: no access through Philosopher’s Walk

Construction Timeline

If you have construction or building-related questions, please contact:

Gregor Browning, Special Projects Officer at gregor.browning@utoronto.ca

Madeleine Lavin, Administrative Coordinator at m.lavin@utoronto.ca

For more information about Living Trinity, how you can get involved and support the campaign with a gift, please contact: livingtrinity@trinity.utoronto.ca