John Innes Community Recreation Centre

After deindustrialization, the Moss Park neighborhood in Toronto’s Downtown East became marked by its substantial presence of social housing, shelters, and community health centres. Grappling with complex social issues like homelessness, addiction, and poverty, community resources in the neighborhood are strained. The new John Innes Community Recreation Centre replaces an aging, inaccessible building—one defined by its imposing piano nobile—with an inviting pavilion that acts as a gateway to historic Moss Park, the neighborhood’s namesake greenspace. Designed to be open, democratic and firmly sited in its natural surroundings, the new JICRC embraces its urban condition by buttressing the surrounding streetscape and putting its various, stacked community programs on display. Built to meet the City of Toronto’s aggressive sustainability standards and Zero Carbon Building Design certification, the building will also incorporates Indigenous art and placemaking—crucial for fostering cultural understanding, respecting traditions, and advancing Reconciliation.