The Pantages Place development sought to create a landmark in the heart of Toronto. The proposed development was a mixed-use commercial and residential building including the AT&T Centre for the Performing Arts, comprised of the 2200-seat Pantages Theatre and a new 1400-seat theatre and Pantages Tower, a high-rise that contained a hotel and condominiums.

The initial phase of the development was to contain 5 levels of belowgrade parking, an expansion to the exisitng Pantages Theatre stage, a new, 1400-seat theatre, the tower core to the 9th floor, street related retail, a residential lobby and a hotel lobby.

The second phase was to include a 41-storey, 419 foot tower combining up-scale condominiums and a four-start hotel. The 313-room hotel was to be located in the lower 25 levels of the building, while the 192 condominium units occupied the upper 16 floors. The structure was to consist of a structural concrete frame clad with precast concrete panels with fenestration and a glazed curtainwall.

The project was projected to be completed by 2000.

The Ballet Opera House was planned as the home and performance center for the National Ballet of Canada and the Canadian Opera Company, located in downtown Toronto between Bay and Yonge Streets. When a new provincial government was elected, however, the project was indefinitely shelved pending resolution of funding issues. Safdie's design features a public passage, referred to as "Gallery of the Artists," traversing the site at street level and accommodating specialty retail elements. The heart of the project was to be a 2,000 seat auditorium consisting of a main stage and three support stages, while the exterior of the building was to be composed of a series of tower-like elements that integrated it with the surrounding streets of Toronto.