Turning A New Maple Leaf

The historic but inactive Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto is expected to have a new lease on its 80-year-old life with a $60 million makeover.

The transformation has taken two years so far. The new version is expected to be done by October and the hockey-centric building should open in February, according to the Globe and Mail. The hockey rink will be raised to the rafters and, beneath it, will be an athletic center, grocery store and parking garage, the paper said.

“It’s like trying to build a ship within a bottle and making sure the glass does not break,” Ryerson University President Sheldon Levy told the paper. Levy is credited with organizing the project and creating a space-sharing deal with the building’s owner, Loblaw Co., in 2009. A Loblaw grocery store is expected to be part of the project.

The new rink will hold 2,800 and will be directly underneath the trusses and domed roof.

“Ninety percent of the wow factor will be right here,” said a representative for BBB Architects.

Maple Leaf Gardens was an entertainment hub for Toronto before the advent of the Air Canada Centre.