Toronto perplexed by new structure on top of downtown skyscraper

Have you recently seen that huge thing on top of the tower at 20 Queen Street West and thought to yourself, "hey – what's that huge thing on top of the tower at 20 Queen Street West?"

You're not alone, my friends.

We've been curious about it for months, as have Torontonians on Reddit and the Urban Toronto forums.

People had been speculating that the scaffolding atop the tower next to Toronto's Eaton Centre was indicative of an impending marketing stunt; a rooftop hockey rink, maybe, or some type of a promo for the Cadillac Fairview-sponsored Team Canada ahead of 2018's Olympic Games.

Others thought that the skyscraper, built in 1979, might be undergoing some routine maintenance.

As it turns out, neither of those theories appear to be true.

Based on a building permit application found by Urban Toronto forum user TheTigerMaster, we now know that all that dramatic-looking construction activity will result in *drumroll please*... some signs.

"In conjunction with a multi-storey building on the premises, proposal to erect and display four illuminated wall signs located on the uppermost storey and second storey of the building," reads the permit application.

"Two uppermost storey logo wall signs are erected on the southeast and northeast elevations."

We don't know yet what these illuminated signs will be advertising – or if they're meant to advertise anything at all. What we do know is that they're going to be huge.

Both of the rooftop signs will measure 5.2 metres vertically by 10.74 metres horizontally, according to the permit, "at a height of 149.7 metres above grade."

We've reached out to Cadillac Fairview for more information, and will keep you posted as details are offered.

by Lauren O'Neil via blogTO