Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus

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Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus
Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus at University of Toronto.jpg
Schwartz Reisman West
Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus
Interactive map of the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus area
General information
Location108 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates 43°39′37″N79°23′21″W / 43.66028°N 79.38917°W / 43.66028; -79.38917
Named for Gerald Schwartz
Heather Reisman
Completed2024 (2024) (West Tower)
TBA (East Tower)
OpeningMay 2024 (2024-05)
Owner University of Toronto
Technical details
Floor count13 (West Tower)
Floor area250,000 sq ft (West Tower)
Design and construction
Architecture firm Weiss/Manfredi
Other information
Public transit access BSicon SUBWAY.svg TTC - Line 1 - Yonge-University-Spadina line.svg Queen's Park
BSicon CLRV.svg   506  
Website
sric.utoronto.ca

The Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus (SRIC) is a dual-tower building complex on the St. George campus of the University of Toronto in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located at College Street and Queen's Park Crescent, its first phase, the West Tower, opened in May 2024 and consists of 250,000 square feet of space across 13 storeys.

Contents

Affiliated with the University of Toronto, the complex is dedicated to research on artificial intelligence and its impact on society, and is home to the largest collection of student and faculty-led start-ups in Canada, including the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society, the Vector Institute, and University of Toronto Entrepreneurship. [1]

History

Following a $100-million donation from Gerald Schwartz and Heather Reisman in March of 2019, the University of Toronto announced the plan to build a dedicated hub for entrepreneurial activity and technological advancement. [2] [3] [4] The donation was the largest in U of T's history at the time. [5]

In 2024, the first phase of construction was completed in the West Tower. Schwartz Reisman West consists of 250,000 square feet of space across 13 storeys. [6] [7]

The second phase, Schwartz Reisman East, is planned to contain spaces for biomedical and bioengineering research, wet labs, and facilities for life science startups and researchers. It will be a larger, 20-storey tower which will provide 500,000 square feet of space. [8] [9]

Construction

The Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus is located at the intersection of College Street and University Avenue near the Ontario Legislative Building, where the later avenue turns into Queen's Park Crescent. [5] It is situated on the southeastern end of the University of Toronto's St. George campus where it meets the northern portion of the Discovery District, across from the Leslie L. Dan Pharmacy Building and MaRS Discovery District.

It was designed by New York City–based architecture firm Weiss/Manfredi, with contributions from Teeple Architects and landscape architects DTAH. The SRIC features a series of outdoor balconies or “winter gardens” across the surface of the building. Each balcony’s height corresponds to that of a nearby structure, such as that of the Ontario Ministry of Finance. [7]

Tenants

The SRIC hosts both University of Toronto-affiliated organizations and other businesses/nonprofits. Its University of Toronto organizations include U of T Campus Events, Real Estate Partnerships, and Innovations and Partnerships Offices, as well as ONRamp and its Centre for Entrepreneurship at University of Toronto Entrepreneurship (UTE). [10]

The SRIC's main tenant, the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society, was founded in 2019 as part of the $100-million donation to the University of Toronto. [11]

The Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus's other partnered tenants are:

See also

References

  1. ↑ "About Us". Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  2. ↑ McLeod, James (March 27, 2019). "Where AI meets humanity: Gerald Schwartz, Heather Reisman announce $100M donation toward U of T innovation centre". Financial Post.
  3. ↑ Falconer, Kirk (March 25, 2019). "Gerry Schwartz, Heater Reisman give $100 mln to U of T tech centre". Venture Capital Journal.
  4. ↑ "U of T celebrates official opening of the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus". University of Toronto. May 16, 2024.
  5. 1 2 Law, Sarah (Mar 25, 2019). "U of T gets $100M donation for innovation centre studying AI". Toronto: CBC News.
  6. ↑ Bozikovic, Alex (February 8, 2024). "The architecture of AI: U of T's new research hub rises". Toronto: The Globe and Mail.
  7. 1 2 Schillaci, Trevor (November 8, 2024). "Weiss/Manfredi wraps University of Toronto's Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus with faceted precast concrete panels". The Architect's Newspaper.
  8. ↑ "University breaks ground on the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus". U of T News. November 12, 2019.
  9. ↑ O'Neil, Lauren (March 25, 2019). "The University of Toronto is building an enormous new innovation complex". www.blogto.com. blogTO.
  10. ↑ "Partner Directory". Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Who We Are". Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
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