Join us on Thursday, July 23 at 6 pm for a virtual consultation. For more information and to register, visit the event page.
Caption: Rendering from Toronto Public Library Foundation
About the project
Toronto Public Library has been planning for a new district library since 2008 in response to several critical factors, including projected population growth in this part of the city and the condition of the current St. Lawrence branch.
We have purchased a building at 339 Queen Street East to house the new library branch. The new location is approximately 900 metres from the current branch, about a 15-minute walk.
At its current location, the branch operates in a leased space designed as a neighbourhood branch serving the local community. At the new location, the branch will become a district branch designed to serve broader communities in a larger space with additional services.
The new branch will feature:
- larger collections
- more open hours
- barrier-free access to technology
- digital literacy training
- options for individual and group workspaces
- properly zoned spaces for different age groups
- an interactive early literacy centre for very young children
- dedicated youth spaces
- flexible programming and event spaces
Why are we replacing the St. Lawrence branch?
The current St. Lawrence branch is undersized at 4,833 square feet (449 square metres.). The building has significant maintenance issues, resulting in several branch closures each year due to flooding from the residential building above.
There is a need for a large district library in this part of the city due to projected population growth, as identified by the Library's Facilities Prioritization Framework. The new branch will fully meet the TPL's Service Delivery Model for district level library services in this underserved part of the City.
When will the new branch be ready?
The project kicked off in the first quarter of 2026 with design and community consultations. The approximate project completion is expected in approximately 3 years. The website will be updated as more information is available.
The St. Lawrence branch currently located at 171 Front Street will remain open while the new branch is being prepared.
Community consultations
On April 2, we hosted a Public Open House with Councillor Chris Moise, City Librarian Moe Hosseini-Ara, the library project team, architectural consultants from Building Arts Architects, and heritage consultant EVOQ Architecture.
An overview of the project was presented to members of the public by library staff and consultants, followed by a Q&A session.
Have your say
Over the past few months, we’ve hosted consultation sessions and focus group discussions on topics including collections, programs, and services for all ages, and we appreciate the input shared through these sessions.
If you haven’t had a chance to participate yet, there is one more virtual session scheduled for Thursday, July 23 from 6-8 pm. Please register online or email StLawrenceProject@tpl.ca.
We will share our plans and how your input has been used at a public meeting in late summer 2026.