The Eaton Centre Is Getting A Massive Skylight Upgrade & It's Going To Cost $60M

The Eaton Centre in Toronto is getting a whopping $60 million upgrade, but it won't be ready anytime soon.

Cadillac Fairview announced on January 11 that the mall's iconic art installation, the one with the flying geese beneath the roof, will be removed to make way for a multi-million dollar refurbishment of the skylight's glass roof.

The refurbishment is set to take place in two phases, with the first starting off in the south end of the mall sometime mid-January 2022, and the second phase in the north end taking off in March 2023.

But, the geese won’t be gone for good. During the upgrades, they’ll be stored in a safe place before its reinstallation while the project is being finished.

In the press release, Wayne Barwise, the Executive Vice President of Development at Cadillac Fairview, said the skylight's original design was inspired by the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Italy, which is a shopping mall and landmark in Milan, Italy.

"As custodians of this unique architectural element, our priority is to ensure the integrity of its design as we significantly enhance its functional performance," Barwise said in the release.

Cadillac Fairview is also planning to spend $17 million on making the shopper experience better at Toronto’s Eaton Centre, by adding three new staircases to the food court, and improving the elevators to allow for better accessibility for scooters and strollers.

So next time you make your way to the shopping centre be prepared for things to look a little different.