In a public ribbon-cutting ceremony last November, Toronto’s RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust celebrated the completion of the first phase of The Well, Canada’s largest mixed-used, urban project.

© Courtesy of RioCan

With new retail and office tenants moving in every week, this Toronto project will be fully completed before the end of 2024. The Well will include 1.1 million square feet of office space; 500,000 square feet of retail and food services; and 1,700 residential units spread throughout six residential buildings, all connected to a three-level retail base. Formerly the location of the original Globe and Mail newspaper headquarters, the almost 8-acre property was acquired in 2011, with construction ongoing since 2017. The Well is expected to attract approximately 22,000 daily visitors and 11,000 workers.

Some of the venues now opened to the public include The Rink, a large skating rink; NORDIC by BarChef, with a yurt and a fire pit lounge offering cocktails and stage performances; Veuve Clicquot Champagne Lounge, where visitors can unwind beneath the glass canopy with a flute of Veuve Clicquot; and Stardust Bridge, where The Well’s Grand Bridge can be transformed into a visual, interactive installation using a unique lighting system.

© Courtesy of RioCan

While not yet fully occupied, additional retailers and restaurants are slated to open in stages throughout 2024, including a 70,000-square-foot Food Hall. Recently confirmed tenants of Wellington Restaurants include Mandy’s Gourmet Salads, a Montreal-based salad bar’s second location in Toronto. Another venue, L’Avenue, will open a new location at The Well this year. L’Avenue is anticipated to be a hot spot for brunch with its eccentric plates, such as the truffle duck eggs Benedict.

Other newly created culinary venues at The Well include La Plume, a southern France-inspired hot spot offering a mix of French classics and fresh seaside flavors, along with a rotisserie service and tartare bar. Expected to open in early 2024, The Dorset will showcase food inspired by the British coastline and countryside.

© Courtesy of RioCan

Canada’s Concorde Entertainment Group expands into the Toronto market at The Well, bringing some of its popular ideas to the Wellington Restaurant, including Bridgette Bar, which presents a mid-century modern atmosphere and award-winning, chef-driven concepts.

Lulu Bar offers a drink menu that includes sake, beer and cocktails, and a Pacific-inspired food menu. Arcadia Earth, an immersive, virtual reality, sustainability focused, experiential tenant has also opened at The Well. A rooftop restaurant named Aera was opened by the Oliver & Bonacini Hospitality Group. The 11,000-square-foot space on the 38^th floor of an office tower includes a 2,500-square-foot rooftop patio.

La Plume Bar © Courtesy of Oliver & Bonacini Hospitality

For visitors and residents in Toronto this new and colorful, mixed-use project is definitely worth a visit, and its proximity to downtown Toronto’s CN Tower, Union Station, Harbourfront Center and Lake Ontario is a plus.