Construction begins on $350-million plan to turn Niagara Falls power station into a hotel
The former Toronto Power Generating Station is expected to open in 2030 as a five-star boutique hotel with free public viewing areas above the Horseshoe Falls.
More than half a century after the Toronto Power Generating Station stopped producing electricity, construction crews are preparing the building for a new use. The former hydroelectric station will house a hotel, and visitors will be able to take in the view from parts of the property without booking a room.
Niagara Parks and developer Toronto Power Hotel Inc. held a ceremonial groundbreaking Thursday, Nov. 12, on the north side of the station. Ontario Tourism, Culture and Gaming Minister Zee Hamid joined them for the event, which marked the start of the main phase of construction after years of planning and site preparation. Niagara Parks expects construction to be substantially complete in 2029 and anticipates the property will open in 2030.
“This project will strengthen the region’s tourism offerings, create jobs and drive economic growth,” Hamid said in a Niagara Parks news release. Niagara Parks estimates the redevelopment could create up to 900 jobs in the region.
Ontario Tourism, Culture and Gaming Minister Zee Hamid. Photo: Supplied/Niagara Parks
The private investment now stands at more than $350 million, up from the more than $200 million Niagara Parks cited when it selected Pearle Hospitality’s proposal in 2023. The Niagara Parks Commission owns the land. In November 2024, the province authorized a 75-year lease with an option for the developer to extend it by another 24 years. The agreement calls for annual rent payments to Niagara Parks and covers a parking structure across the street from the station.
Architect E.J. Lennox designed the station for the Electrical Development Company of Ontario to supply electricity to Toronto. When it opened in 1906, it was the first wholly Canadian-owned hydroelectric facility at Niagara Falls. Its columned façade was unusual for an industrial building. Below the generators, water drove turbines in a deep pit before flowing out through a tunnel. The station closed in 1974 and became a national historic site in 1983, recognized for its role in Canada’s hydroelectric history and its Beaux-Arts design.
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Niagara Parks chair Graham Coveney said restoring the station and bringing visitors back to the site serves the agency’s mandate of “protecting and promoting Niagara’s natural and cultural heritage while growing tourism.” Plans call for free indoor and outdoor viewing areas, along with a museum and an art gallery. Drew Wensley, CEO of MT Planners, said the redevelopment could also connect the property to Niagara Parks’ trail network, giving visitors a way to reach it from nearby parks and attractions along the river.
Work at the river’s edge began before the ceremony. In 2025, crews started installing a temporary dam in the upper Niagara River to reach the east side of the building. Deltera Contracting Inc. is the general contractor. Mario Cimicata, Deltera’s president of construction management, said the company would work with Niagara Parks, the developer and the design team to preserve the station’s historic character during construction.
Pearle Hospitality, which runs the Elora Mill Hotel & Spa, will operate the property when it opens. Plans call for restaurants, a spa and space for events, but some of the best views will be open to everyone. If Niagara Parks meets its 2030 opening target, visitors will be able to step inside a building that once supplied electricity to Toronto and look out over the river that powered it.