St. Michael’s Cathedral

Master Plan & Event Centre 

The Roman Catholic has embarked on a bold new vision for St. Michael’s Cathedral in Toronto. Building on the Cathedral’s presence, the Cathedral Block Master Plan creates a campus for the life of the Archdiocese, a place of pilgrimage and a vibrant institution in Toronto’s dynamic core.

The development of the Master Plan is an opportunity to showcase the Catholic faith within this densely populated urban centre, with the Church acting as city-builder. Built in 1845, the Cathedral is the historical focal point of the block, the Master Block plan reflects the mixed-use development potential of the full site including; the renovation of heritage structures, a new home for St. Michaels’ Choir School, and a state-of-the-art event space ‘St. Michael’s Centre’. The 112,000 SF centre will be a dynamic hub engaging the Catholic community, promoting social outreach, generating new partnerships and revenue streams.

From 2014 to 2016, the Archdiocese of Toronto engaged Savira to work with the steering committee and KPMB Architects to develop the vision, design, partnerships and business plan for St. Michael’s Centre. Savira led two phases of planning and conducted in-depth market research in Canada/USA to identify external rental demand, operating requirements, key stakeholders and resident partners. Based on extensive research, Savira delivered the feasibility study which a demonstrates a viable economic model and six-year return on investment.

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