September 11, 2026
You know that concrete pad between London’s City Hall and Centennial Hall? It’s called Reg Cooper Square. A little Google research taught me that it’s named after a long-serving municipal employee.
Many years ago, Reg Cooper Square was a significant gathering space, with a fountain, gardens, benches and even space for special events. YOU’s first “major” fundraising event was held there in 1984, during the UN’s International Year for Youth.
Today, the square has deteriorated to the point where it’s an eyesore across from London’s beautiful Victoria Park. And that got me wondering: instead of simply asking how we might restore Reg Cooper Square to its former glory, should we be asking a much bigger question about the entire site?
My Loon colleague, Matt Brown, and I explore that question in this week’s Steve’s Reflections.
London’s existing City Hall is no longer adequate for the city’s needs. At the same time, the City has made significant investments in the downtown and has identified filling vacant downtown office space as a priority.
So what if we looked at moving City Hall to a more centrally located downtown building—perhaps one of the many existing office buildings that are currently underutilized or vacant?
And what could that make possible at the existing City Hall site, including Reg Cooper Square and Centennial Hall? Could this become an opportunity for significant renewal, new public space, additional housing or other uses that would better serve London’s future?
This isn’t about suggesting that we already know the answer. It’s about asking whether we should be exploring the possibilities.
Council has considered relocating City Hall before, including pursuing the Bell building at Dundas and Talbot roughly 20 years ago. Perhaps it’s time to take another look.
We all have concerns about affordability and taxation. But perhaps there is also a business case for looking at the bigger picture: rather than continuing to invest in a building that no longer meets London’s needs, could we redirect that investment in a way that gives us a better City Hall, brings more workers into the heart of downtown, and unlocks the potential of one of our most prominent downtown sites?
That’s the question Matt and I explore in this week’s Steve’s Reflections.
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