Maple Leaf Square is a multi-use complex and
public square
A town square (or public square, urban square, city square or simply square), also called a plaza or piazza, is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town or city, and which is used for community gatherings. Relat ...
located in the
South Core neighbourhood of
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, Ontario, Canada. It is located to the west of the
Scotiabank Arena
Scotiabank Arena (SBA), formerly known as Air Canada Centre (ACC), is a multi-purposed arena located on Bay Street in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the home of the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and t ...
on the former
Railway Lands. The $500 million development was jointly developed by
Cadillac Fairview
The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited, branded as Cadillac Fairview, is a Canadian company that invests in, owns, and manages commercial real estate, mainly in Canada and the United States. As of March 2017, the company had 73 properties, enco ...
, Lanterra and
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE) is a professional sports and commercial real estate company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. With assets that include franchises in four of the six major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
(MLSE), who own the nearby Scotiabank Arena. The complex has of usable space covering on one city block.
[Maple Leaf Square Update June 9, 2008](_blank)
Name
Maple Leaf Square is named after
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE) is a professional sports and commercial real estate company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. With assets that include franchises in four of the six major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
, which owns the
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...
and
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...
, both of which play in
Scotiabank Arena
Scotiabank Arena (SBA), formerly known as Air Canada Centre (ACC), is a multi-purposed arena located on Bay Street in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the home of the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and t ...
next to the square.
[Toronto Raptors fans pack Maple Leaf Square for Game 7 against Brooklyn Nets]
, National Post, May 4, 2014 During the 2014 postseason for the Raptors, the public square became a popular gathering area to view playoff games, and was nicknamed by fans as Jurassic Park,
in reference to the
film
A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
from which the Raptors team name originated. The square is now colloquially referred to as Jurassic Park by the fans and media in addition to the real name, the Raptors Tailgate.
On September 25, 2014, it was reported that the official name of the square would be changed to Ford Square from Maple Leaf Square, after the
Ford Motor Company of Canada
Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited (Canadian French, French: ''Ford du Canada Limitée'') was founded on August 17, 1904, for the purpose of manufacturing and selling Ford cars in Canada. It was originally known as the Walkerville Wagon Works a ...
's purchase of
naming rights
Naming rights are a financial transaction and form of advertising or memorialization where a corporation, person, or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, object, location, program, or event (most often sports venues), typical ...
to the square. After public uproar to the rename,
five days later, MLSE said that those reports were "premature and unfounded" and that they would not get rid of the name.
[Maple Leaf Square will live on, MLSE says](_blank)
Toronto Star, September 30, 2014 Instead, they announced that the square would be rebranded as the Ford Fan Zone at Maple Leaf Square
due to a five-year sponsorship deal with Ford Canada.
[Maple Leaf Square will not be renamed Ford Square](_blank)
CityNews Toronto, September 30
History
Construction on the project began in January 2007.
The two glass and
cast-in-place concrete towers are 65 storeys, containing 872 residential units, a 167-room Hotel LeGermain Boutique
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...
, of office space, of retail space, a daycare centre, a high-definition theatre that broadcasts
Leafs Nation Network and
NBA TV Canada
NBA TV Canada is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE). It is the Canadian version of NBA TV, broadcasting programming focused on the National Basketball Association, and ...
24-hours a day, and four levels of underground
parking
Parking is the act of stopping and disengaging a vehicle and usually leaving it unoccupied. Parking on one or both sides of a road is often permitted, though sometimes with restrictions. Some buildings have parking facilities for use of the bu ...
with nearly 900 spaces.
The retail complex includes a
Longo's grocery, a
sports bar called Real Sports Bar and Grill, a sports retail store called Real Sports Apparel, a fine dining restaurant called E11even, a fan apparel specific location of Sportchek and a branch of the
Toronto Dominion Bank. For residents, there is a
rooftop garden and
swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming and associated activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built abo ...
. The development was designed to achieve LEED (
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a Green building certification systems, green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating ...
) Silver status for the project's
environmental sustainability
Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...
.
The building partly served as inspiration for
LECOM Harborcenter, a multi-use building built near
KeyBank Center
KeyBank Center is a multipurpose indoor arena located in Buffalo, New York, United States. Originally known as Marine Midland Arena, the venue has since been named HSBC Arena and First Niagara Center. Home to the Buffalo Sabres of the Nation ...
in
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...
by
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Con ...
and
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
owner
Terrence Pegula
Terrence Michael Pegula (born March 27, 1951) is an American billionaire businessman and petroleum engineer. He is the owner of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL) and, with a consortium of private equity firms and athletes, th ...
's
Pegula Sports and Entertainment
Pegula Sports & Entertainment (PSE) was an American sports and entertainment company based in Buffalo, New York. The company was established after billionaire Terry Pegula combined his sports, property and entertainment assets into one company. ...
. The similarity is most noticeable in the design of the restaurant: LECOM Harborcenter's 716 Food and Sport was largely based on Maple Leaf Square's Real Sports Bar and Grill.
Maple Leaf Square Shopping Arcade.jpg, Retail complex
Maple Leaf Square Shopping Arcade-1 2021.jpg, Longo's Supermarket
Maple Leaf Square, North Tower.jpg, North Tower
TorontoPano.jpg, Maple Leaf Square topped out in Spring 2010
Public square
The public square has a capacity of 5,000 people. It hosts pre-game gatherings and other sports-related events.
[ ]
In conjunction with the project, the Scotiabank Arena itself on the side of Maple Leaf Square was renovated.
The renovations included a atrium addition to the west side of the arena which abuts the plaza. The outside wall of the atrium features a 50 by video screen overlooking the plaza which was inspired by similar plazas at
L.A. Live in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, and
Victory Park in
Dallas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
.
Games going on inside the arena are often displayed live on the outdoor screen.
The square was the first such plaza in Canada. It has been since emulated in
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...
with a plaza in the
Ice District by
Daryl Katz, owner of the
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...
and in
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
with
True North Square
True North Square is a public plaza and mixed-use development in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba. Managed by True North Real Estate Development, a joint venture between James Richardson & Sons and True North Sports & Entertainment, it is still under ...
by
True North Sports and Entertainment, owners of the
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The Jets compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The te ...
.
Viewing space for sports
The public square holds special outdoor viewings of significant games like home openers and playoff games for both the
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...
and
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...
on a giant video screen affixed above the west entrance of
Scotiabank Arena
Scotiabank Arena (SBA), formerly known as Air Canada Centre (ACC), is a multi-purposed arena located on Bay Street in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the home of the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and t ...
.
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE) is a professional sports and commercial real estate company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. With assets that include franchises in four of the six major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
, which owns both franchises, puts concession and merchandise stands on the square during such occasions.
[ These viewings happen regardless of whether the team is playing at home or on the road. Popularity of this fan experience has risen over the years and has required heightened security and traffic control. Interest in attendance reached a new level on May 25, 2019, to watch the Raptors win Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals to advance to the ]NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...
for the first time. Following the Raptors' historic win in the 2019 NBA Finals, the City of Toronto renamed as Raptors Way a portion of Bremner Boulevard from York Street to Lake Shore Boulevard.
See also
* South Core, Toronto
* List of tallest buildings in Canada
*List of tallest buildings in Toronto
Many of the tallest buildings in Toronto are also the tallest in all of Canada. The tallest structure in Toronto is the CN Tower, which rises . The CN Tower was the List of tallest buildings and structures, tallest free-standing structure on land ...
References
External links
*
Maple Leaf Square Condos
Photos of the project
*
{{Toronto Raptors
Squares in Toronto
Path (Toronto)
Buildings and structures in Toronto
Entertainment districts in Canada
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design basic silver certified buildings
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified buildings in Canada
Commercial buildings completed in 2010
Railway Lands
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
Cadillac Fairview
Skyscraper office buildings in Toronto
Retail buildings in Canada
Residential skyscrapers in Toronto
Skyscraper hotels in Canada
Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Raptors