By Cindy MacDonald
Oshawa, Ontario– October 19, 2018– General Motors is beginning construction on a new development in downtown Toronto that will combine research and development space with vehicle sales. The Toronto GM Mobility Campus will be an extension of the company’s R&D and engineering ecosystem.
Mathew Palmer, director of special projects for GM Canada, told CBC News the site will be more than just a dealership. “You’re going to see a multi-use space that certainly includes vehicle sales and service, but it’s also going to include things like research and development activity and new approaches to mobility.”
The company says the seven-acre complex will include office space, R&D facilities for urban mobility, GM vehicle sales and service space, and a public experience area showcasing innovations in mobility, including electric and autonomous vehicles, e-bikes and car-sharing. It is envisioned as an automotive innovation hub.
According to CBC, demolition at the site will begin later this month, with construction expected to take two years.
The campus on Eastern Ave. in downtown Toronto will be the headquarters for Cadillac Canada sales and marketing, and will house GM Canada Central Region offices. The dealership and service space for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac will represent about 40 percent of the Toronto GM Mobility Campus.
Earlier this year, GM Canada opened the Canadian Technical Centre – Markham Campus, which will focus on software development and innovation in the areas of next-generation active safety, in-car infotainment systems, and software and controls related to GM’s development of self-driving vehicles.
The Urban Mobility Campus in downtown Toronto is the latest of GM Canada’s investments in innovation, joining the CTC campus in Markham, Ontario, the CTC campus in Oshawa, Ontario, Cold Weather Testing facility in Kapuskasing, Ontario, and 2908 innovation lab at Communitech in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario.
