Sidewalk Labs pulls out of Toronto waterfront smart city project

TORONTO — Google affiliate Sidewalk Labs is walking away from its plans to build a high-tech neighbourhood along Toronto’s waterfront after spending years and millions of dollars on the proposal.

Sidewalk CEO Dan Doctoroff says in a letter that the company is no longer pursuing the smart city because it has become too difficult to make the project financially viable without sacrificing core parts of its plan.

Waterfront Toronto was in the process of deciding whether to allow Sidewalk to pursue the plan when Doctoroff broke the news to the organization.

At one time, Sidewalk’s proposal involved spending $1.3 billion and decking out the neighbourhood with heated and illuminated sidewalks, affordable housing, tall timber structures and innovations to support sustainability.

The project had been marred by criticism around privacy protections and intellectual property concerns and attracted complaints from business leaders and security experts alike.

Waterfront Toronto said in a statement that it was not the outcome it hoped for, but it thanked Sidewalk for its efforts.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2020.