Independent Review of Sidewalk Labs’ Master Innovation & Development Plan Economic Development Pillar on behalf of Waterfront Toronto

Steer Economic Development is pleased to be supporting Waterfront Toronto, the agency tasked by all three levels of Canadian government with waterfront revitalization, to undertake an independent review and evaluation of the economic development aspects of Sidewalk Labs’ Master Innovation & Development Plan (MIDP) on Toronto’s waterfront.

Sidewalk Labs, a sister company of Google, were selected by Waterfront Toronto in 2017 through a competitive procurement process to develop a masterplan for innovation and development at a 12-acre site in the eastern waterfront of Toronto known as Quayside. The MIDP, published in June 2019, unveiled Sidewalk Labs’ plans for a proposed smart neighbourhood which focuses on the implementation of smart urban technologies, novel construction techniques, deployment of new mobility solutions and delivering economic development outcomes to support Waterfront Toronto’s objectives.

In October 2019, following a period of negotiation on threshold issues of the plan, the Board of Waterfront Toronto decided unanimously to direct management to proceed with the formal evaluation of the MIDP and further public consultation October 2019, based on a realignment on the threshold issues outlined by Waterfront Toronto.

Steer Economic Development is supporting Waterfront Toronto in their independent review of the MIDP’s Economic Development Pillar, including the extent to which proposals are effective at meeting Waterfront Toronto’s objectives and delivering priority outcomes on economic development. The review forms part the formal comprehensive evaluation being undertaken by Waterfront Toronto along with further public consultation in order to obtain a final decision on the plans by the end of March 2020.