Did you know the Toronto Harbour Commission Building at 60 Harbour Street, built in 1917, was once located right on the water?
Yep. It was completely surrounded by water on 3 sides.
Its foundation? 46 vertical piles sunk into Lake Ontario. It was the headquarters for managing all port activity.
Over the decades, landfill created a now landlocked building and the growth of modern development. It sits a 1/2 km away from the water and is home to Harbour 60 Steakhouse, opened in ’99.
The building continues to stand as a Toronto heritage landmark, even with prospects of more commercial development at this location.
Who has occupied this building throughout the years?
- 1918–late 20th century: Toronto Harbour Commission (THC) headquarters
- Late 20th century–2017: Toronto Port Authority / PortsToronto headquarters
- 1999–present: Harbour Sixty Steakhouse (lower floor)
- 2017–present: Owned by Oxford Properties, with plans for commercial redevelopment while maintaining the building’s heritage status
Wait. What commercial development?
Oxford Properties is planning a 60-storey, 1.4 million-square-foot office tower called The HUB. To protect the heritage of the Harbour Building, a unique structure will allow a “bridge” over the existing heritage building, preserving and integrating the historic Beaux-Arts structure into the new digs.
When is this building planned?
Oxford Properties is hoping to have tenants occupy in what Oxford is claiming will be Toronto’s tallest and most advanced commercial towers by 2030.
