aA breathed new life into a listed heritage waterfront building on a challenging waterfront site – bisected by a regional expressway that stranded the former Loblaws Groceteria building and rendered it commercially unviable for over a decade. aA devised a mixed-use plan that inserted significant residential density at the north end of the site, with servicing and parking access slipped beneath the expressway. The value unlocked by this strategy financed the restoration and expansion of the Art Deco brick building, which has been reborn as a retail magnet for the fast-growing Fort York neighbourhood. A four-storey commercial annex sits lightly atop the 1928 heritage structure, clad in glass with a steel bris soleil and set back from the existing exterior walls to allow a clear reading of the historic and new-build elements. This building is certified LEED Silver.