In addition to increasing housing options for graduate students, the residence will continue to expand upon the services and amenities offered to Graduate House residents, including a market dining operation, common spaces, study rooms, and a shared kitchen facility.

The services and amenities will be available to residents at both Graduate House and Harbord Residence offering a residence experience that includes several living space options, outdoor spaces, access to dining and cooking facilities, and numerous social and study spaces.

The University is working closely with Michael Maltzan Architects, Architects-Alliance, and ERA in the design and planning of the building. Pomerleau will be leading the construction phase of the project. More information can be found here.

October 2022  

• Award of Demolition Contract for properties east of Graduate House on the north side of Harbord Street 
• Submission and Review of Demolition Management Plan 

November 2022 

• Award of Construction Management Contract 
• Submission and Review of Construction Management Plan 

February 2022 

• Presentation of Construction Management Plan to Graduate House residents and community by Harbord Residence Project Group and Construction Manager
• Start of Demolition of the existing houses at 42-56 Harbord Street (approx. 2 months for full staging, demolition, and clean up)

March 2023 

• Completion of Demolition of houses along Harbord Street
• Start of Construction (Expected Substantial Completion: 2025) 

Members of the Graduate House community have contributed in various capacities since the early pre-planning of the project, and most recently on the Project Committee which has been meeting frequently since 2019. Consultations with members of the Graduate House community were hosted in the fall of 2019 where floorplans and renderings of student spaces were shared with residents. Feedback and suggestions from students were solicited and incorporated into the planning discussions along the way, and the Project Committee has also conducted consultations with the local neighborhood association, the City of Toronto Councilor, and with student participants as part of the broader planning process.   

Once completed, the new residence building will offer many new amenities for Graduate House students, but the construction period will also have a number of impacts on the Graduate House community. Outlined below are some ways in which the project period and new building will impact residents:   

Construction period: 

• Demolition of the houses along the north side of Harbord Street during fall 2022/winter 2023 period 
• Staging of work crews and construction materials along the laneway to the east of Graduate House that may impede traffic in the area 
• Work periods during the various phases of construction for the new building (Note that the work must abide by City of Toronto bylaw hours) 

Harbord Residence: 

• Graduate House and Harbord Residence will be connected via a 3rd floor bridge and basement-level tunnel. Residents would have access to both buildings via these passageways as well as through the street level entrances.  
• The laundry facilities currently in Graduate House will be relocated in Harbord House offering a larger space to service the entire community.  
• Harbord Residence will have several common rooms, large lounge spaces, study rooms, and bike storage available for all residents.  
• There will be a community kitchen located on the 2nd floor available for use by all residents.  
• A second floor rooftop garden facing Harbord Street will be accessible during certain hours for resident use. 

As with any building projects that take place, we will work closely with the Graduate House community to monitor impacts on the community. We advise Graduate House residents to look out for updates that will be shared via the newsletter and this website and invite students to contact our office at information.gradhouse@utoronto.ca with any questions and concerns. 

Unfortunately, the laneway on the east side of the Graduate House building will be partially blocked so vehicles will not be able to pass through.

Access to the accessibility ramp and the parking garage elevator will still be available.

In addition to expanding the operation of the Service Desk in Graduate House to service both buildings, Harbord Residence will be supported by a residence life team that will work across both sites and includes a number of live-in staff that are available for after hours support. This team also works closely with the community to plan and organize student events and activities, liaises with various departments on campus (e.g., Health & Wellness, academic advisors), and leads some of the communications functions within the community.

If there are any emergency issues with the project site, please contact U of T Campus Safety at: 416-978-2323 (Non-Urgent); 416-978-2222 (Urgent).

The company managing the demolition phase of the project is the Tri-Phase Group and can be contacted at: 905-823-7965.