Google’s sister company Sidewalk Labs stops working on Quayside ‘city-within-a-city’ project in Toronto

Google's sister firm and Alphabet's subsidiary, Sidewalk Labs is moving away from its Quayside project, a 'city-within-a-city' that was being made in Toronto since past couple of years. The project seemed no less than something what we have seen in futuristic movies and sounded close to Wired's idea of a 'Google Island'. But it is not happening now.

"So it is with great personal sadness and disappointment that I share that Sidewalk Labs will no longer pursue the Quayside project," said Sidewalk Labs CEO Daniel Doctroff in a blog post.

While Doctroff blames the 'unprecedented economic uncertainty' as the reason for walking away from the project, The Verge states that local residents objected the use of high-end tech with cameras and sensors to monitor streets, traffic and more.

Also read: Google once explored acquiring Zoom

"But as unprecedented economic uncertainty has set in around the world and in the Toronto real estate market, it has become too difficult to make the 12-acre project financially viable without sacrificing core parts of the plan we had developed together with Waterfront Toronto to build a truly inclusive, sustainable community," added Doctroff.

In addition, Doctroff says the ongoing pandemic has made it even more difficult to pursue the project. "While we won't be pursuing this particular project, the current health emergency makes us feel even more strongly about the importance of reimagining cities for the future."

Also read: Google donates $100 million in Covid-19 response

Sidewalk Labs was supposed to invest $1.3 billion on the Quayside project at one point that included mass timber housing, heated and illuminated sidewalks, public Wi-Fi and cameras to monitor everything else, something that locals thought will breach their privacy.

Waterfront Toronto, which is Sidewalk Labs' nonprofit, government-appointed partner on the Quayside project project, confirmed in a statement that it had no involvement in the decision. "While this is not the outcome we had hoped for, Waterfront Toronto offers thanks and appreciation to Sidewalk Labs for its vision, effort, and the many commitments that both the company and its employees have made to the future of Toronto," said board chair Stephen Diamond.