Factual Summary • April 17, 2026

The Proposal at 701 Fleet St.

A neutral factual summary of the City of Toronto and Toronto Tempo Performance Centre announcement. No editorial comment. All facts are sourced from the public announcement and publicly available planning records.

1. What Was Announced

Date
April 17, 2026
Parties
City of Toronto (via CreateTO) and the Toronto Tempo WNBA franchise
Site
701 Fleet Street, Exhibition Place, Toronto — described in the announcement as "an underutilized surface parking lot"
Proposed use
Toronto Tempo Performance Centre (practice and training facility)
Architect
HOK (announced simultaneously with the lease; no design renderings publicly released as of this date)
Proposed program
Two full-size indoor WNBA-standard basketball courts, outdoor courts, associated support spaces
Proposed construction
Fall 2026
Lease type
Long-term lease of City-owned land (specific terms not publicly disclosed as of date of this summary)
Land status
City-owned; Exhibition Place is a civic precinct administered by the Exhibition Place Board

2. The Site: What Is 701 Fleet Street

701 Fleet Street sits just outside the western gates of Fort York, at the Princes' Gates entrance to Exhibition Place, adjacent to Gore Park. It is separated from the active Fort York National Historic Site by the width of Gore Park and the western heritage precinct.

The site is within or immediately adjacent to the Fort York Heritage Conservation District, as enlarged by City of Toronto By-Law 541-2004.

Notable Nearby Heritage Structures

Princes' Gates (1927)
Listed on the City of Toronto Heritage Register; prominent heritage structure with view protections under Official Plan Map 7B.
Queen's Wharf Lighthouse (1861)
Heritage structure within the Gore Park precinct. The Fort York Neighbourhood Secondary Plan requires this structure be incorporated into any improvements to Gore Park.
Gore Vale Pumping Station (1924)
Heritage structure within the Gore Park precinct. The same Secondary Plan requirement applies.
Fort York National Historic Site
Canada's most significant War of 1812 site; declared of national historic importance in 1923.

3. Content Analysis

What Was Included

  • /HOK as architect
  • /Parking lot conversion
  • /Community access commitments
  • /Fall 2026 construction start
  • /Two full indoor courts

What Was Omitted

  • XHeritage Impact Assessment
  • XVisual Impact Assessment
  • XArchaeological study
  • XHeritage permit application
  • XPreservation Board review
Source note: This summary is drawn from the joint City of Toronto / Toronto Tempo public announcement of April 17, 2026. Where terms or design details are described as not publicly disclosed, that reflects the state of public information as of the date of this summary.
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