Burlington's Civic Square rebuild: demolition done, canopies next, with City Hall entered from Locust Street until 2027

Where the work stands

The City of Burlington is rebuilding Civic Square, the front entrance and facade of City Hall at 426 Brant St., and the Brant Street and Elgin Street streetscapes beside it. In its August 2026 project update, the City said demolition in Civic Square and on City Hall's front facade was complete, and that electrical, water and stormwater work in the square and inside City Hall was nearing completion. Crews were also working on the new entrance, site grading and the concrete foundations for new shade canopies. Work planned for September included installing structural steel for the canopies and exterior electrical services and lighting.

Getting into City Hall

• Entrance: public access to City Hall is only through the Locust Street entrance. Service Burlington hours are unchanged.
• Parking: the lot on the south side of City Hall, Parking Lot 13, is out of service. A temporary accessible parking space is on Locust Street near the loading dock.
• Roads: no road closures are planned, but there may be temporary lane and sidewalk restrictions on Brant Street, and sidewalk closures on Brant and Elgin streets when sidewalks are rebuilt.
• Ceremonies: during construction, flag raisings and ceremonial flags are at Veteran Square, at the corner of Ontario and Brant streets, according to the City.

What the finished square will have

According to the City, the Brant Street entrance to City Hall will move to the centre of the facade, the Millennium Fountain will be replaced by a water feature, and its granite will be reused for a memorial feature at Burloak Park. Public art by LeuWebb Projects is being built into the new canopies. The trees in the square had to be removed; the City says 16 new trees and 500 shrubs and perennials will be planted. There will be flagpoles but no outdoor washrooms. Lot 13 will become a flexible space with four accessible and two short-term parking spaces on regular days that can be closed for events. The Friendship Clock, installed in 1998, has been removed and will be reinstalled with new electrical components on Brant Street just north of James Street.

Funding

The City says the last major renovation of Civic Square was in 1986, when the City Hall addition was built, and that the Millennium Fountain was added in 2000.