Nearly 10 years after the old St. Lawrence Market North was demolished, parts of the newly developed building are now open to the public.
The building was planned to house some provincial court services and be the new home of the St. Lawrence Farmer’s Market.
While the main market floor remains off limits, courtrooms and offices on the upper levels of the building are officially operational. According to a city spokesperson, the Farmers’ Market will move over to the St. Lawrence Market North on April 5.
The open atrium concept of the building means TorontoToday was able to get a bird’s eye view of the market floor from the upper court levels.
Mostly glass and concrete, the building feels distinctly modern while respecting the site’s historic importance through its classic layout and dual vaulted ceiling design. Several market buildings have existed on the site since 1803.
Court services for matters under Ontario’s Provincial Offences Act were previously located at Old City Hall, and began moving to the St. Lawrence Market North building on Monday and opened on Wednesday, a court worker told TorontoToday.
TorontoToday observed a number of courtroom proceedings underway on the fourth and fifth floors of the building on Friday afternoon. A court information desk on the second floor was also open, though workers told TorontoToday the third floor is still restricted from public access.
Meanwhile, the main floor, which will eventually be home to the St. Lawrence Farmer’s Market, appears to be near completion. A handful of workers and some heavy machinery were spotted.
In its last update on the progress of the St. Lawrence Market North redevelopment, the City of Toronto said court services and public events in the building were expected to commence in the spring of 2025.
"The North St. Lawrence Market building is a City of Toronto project that will be a major tourist destination showcasing artifacts from Toronto's history and featuring one of the world’s top-ranked farmers’ markets," said a city spokesperson in a statement.
"It will also include a state-of-the-art venue on the main floor for event rentals, an antique market, a café, seniors resource centre, Provincial courts and offer 250 new parking spaces."
The Saturday farmer’s market has operated from a temporary tent just south of the main St. Lawrence Market building since 2015.
The North market was demolished in 2016 and construction of the new building began in 2019. Talks to redevelop the site began more than 25 years ago and have been marred by delays and rising costs.
In July 2024, city council approved nearly $10 million in emergency spending to keep the building’s construction on track, bringing the overall budget for the project to $128 million in taxpayer funds.
