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Mystery Sites

allabootmatt

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When in Toronto I often find myself curious while walking around about spots that have, inexplicably, remained parking lots/one-story buildings etc. even as their immediate vicinities go development-crazy. Some examples:

The Budget rental place at SE Crnr King and Spadina

Stollery's at Yonge and Bloor

Lot next to the old Indian Motorcyle, King/Peter (approx).

Starbucks/Rogers Video plaza at Yonge/Roxborough.

Anyone know of any rumblings afoot for these places, or others? Let's post our rumours here...
 
The property at the SE corner of King and Spadina (415 King St. West) was sold a few months ago. The purchaser apparently also owns the property next door at 409 King St. West. I would think an application to build a condo would not be too far away.

As far as Yonge / Roxborough, I have no particular insight, but it's in a low-rise neighbourhood. I think anything higher than, say, three storeys would be opposed by the neighbourhood residents.
 
I noticed there is an entire row of beautiful (if run down) brick facade buildings near the South East corner of Spadina and College for sale. The manner in which "for sale" banners are placed ther suggests to me that they want to sell the entire row for redevelopment. Unfortunately I could see this being demolition. This would be a shame since that stretch of buildings on the east side of Spadina represent one of the most impressive stretches of old commercial store fronts left in the city.
 
I'm astonished all the parking lots along Bay St north of Dundas remain. Incidentally, I was speaking to an architect who will be involved in the Sick Kids research building on that parking lot beside Enwave. It's supposed to be 18-20 storeys.
 
How about the Loblaws/Zellers site just south of that RC school near Dundas St W/Roncevalles/Bloor St West? Zellers is closing in a few days, the Loblaws appears to be emptying out (ie hardly any good food there today), and maybe the Weston's own the property? Wasn't there a rezoning application in?

Next up, we have an entire strip of crap on the north side of Bloor between Keele and Indian Rd--perfect redevelopment/condo sites.

Then all along Yonge St there's those crappy single and double story (1950s--built after the subway?) retail strips roughly between Charles St and Gerard. Any news on those eyesores meeting the wrecking ball?

Dominion's in the Annex? Perfect Mozo-style condo site with Do's @base.

And finally, given how hip the nabe is, the site that really bugs me the most: SW corner of Bathurst and College huge parking lot next to Context's Ideal Lofts and a few lots south of this site, another parking lot next to (and including) that Radio repair place.
 
The lot at Bathurst and College is definitely a big WTF. As is the Cooke's Church site, which is both HUGE and very central. I thought that might be the future home of Manulife, as per V of E's (so far considerably accurate) rumour mill, but I remember he said that was going south of Queen.
 
The south side of Adelaide between Simcoe and John is full of parking lots and crappy buildings. Not even much in the way of clubs. Then there's the parking lot at Queen and Soho, which I'd love to turn into a marketplace/public square, rather than another condo.

Queen and Mutual was also one that I always thought was strange.
 
Queen/Mutual

The site at Queen & Mutual (north of Queen to Shuter)..has been approved for a massive residential development.

I know the City approved it; I don't think there was an OMB appeal.

If built-out as proposed, I'm fairly sure it will be 1000 units +

It was a 4-tower proposal I think.

I could stand to be corrected on the details, this app was approved sometime back (late '06???)

****

Really glad to hear about the Sick Kids Tower......what an eyesore of a lot!

****

Lots I don't understand being neglected....

#1 South of Ricmond, east of Victoria

#2 Bay & Gerrard (beside the Delta Chelsea)
 
#1 South of Ricmond, east of Victoria

There was a thread on this recently? That's the one where they started work on a condo or something long ago, the plans were aborted, it became a parking lot, and only in the past couple of months did they demolish the substructure/garage entrance...
 
Before recently finding out that the City owns the parking lot at Queens Quay and Rees, I often wondered why it hadn't been bought by some condo developer. I figured for such prime real estate, there was no way the owner of the property would rather run a parking lot than cash in. Thankfully it will eventually become HTO Park North.

The other site that I continue to wonder about because I walk by it everyday is the old factory/silos that sit on the water at the foot of Bathurst. There were rumblings about it becoming the Humanitas project, but it's difficult to imagine a museum being placed there considering a school sits in front and the increased traffic at the airport ferry terminal.
 
What about that ugly Motel on Bay st, N of Dundas south of Gerrard. Corner of ELM and bay. That definitely needs to go
 

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