Toronto The Dineen Building | ?m | 5s | Commercial Realty G. | George Robb

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Braddale

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Dineen Building (Yonge and Temperance)

Was downtown last night and noticed that the old building at Yonge and Temperance was completely shrouded by a restoration company. Had not seen any posts on this.
I have always really liked this building, if someone could post a pic of it that would be great.
This is exactly the type of building that should be preserved at all cost.
 
Braddale said:
Was downtown last night and noticed that the old building at Yonge and Temperance was completely shrouded by a restoration company. Had not seen any posts on this.
I have always really liked this building, if someone could post a pic of it that would be great.
This is exactly the type of building that should be preserved at all cost.
Click to expand...

There was a great deal of discussion about it in the Historic photos thread in late summer but I see the photos are no longer available. (It's too bad that photos vanish!!) There are photos on web with flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/24871797@N00/4421086728/ and many other places.
 
It has tons of character and fits the street so well. Would love to see the inside. I always thought that if it was to be torn down, there is no hope for Yonge Street.
 
Every time I passed this building it made me cringe to see the excruciating hack job they did at ground level. So typical of the Torontonian "commodity" attitude to commercial space.
 
Granted, said "excruciating hack job" originated in a time when said hack jobs on late Victorian fare were common *everyplace*--Montreal, NYC, etc not excluded...
 
Two views, almost in the same location, 1903 and early 50's. The Dineen Building is on the left. In the latter pic, the Arcade Building has just been demolished and the street is being rebuilt after subway construction:

f1568_it0311.jpg


f1257_s1057_it8938.jpg


Another view (with cornice):

bizcaf.jpg
 
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It would be great to see all the hack-job street level facades peeled off these Victorians the length of Yonge. There is a huge inventory of good looking buildings left when you view the 2nd & 3rd floors. In some cases the bolt-on facades extend to the top floors. Virtually every material known to man has been used at ground level. Its actually amusing to focus on them as you stroll.

I wonder whether the brickwork underneath can be restored?
 
I always thought that this building seemed like it had been frozen in time, i was curious about who lived/ had an office on the upper floors, a private detective agency with dim lights? cant wait to see this fixed up. It feels like after the Empress went down, theres been a few important revitalizations, the Big Bop, the Bay street hotel, and now this! great news really.
 
Dandy Horse said:
I always thought that this building seemed like it had been frozen in time, i was curious about who lived/ had an office on the upper floors, a private detective agency with dim lights? cant wait to see this fixed up. It feels like after the Empress went down, theres been a few important revitalizations, the Big Bop, the Bay street hotel, and now this! great news really.
Click to expand...

I've been up there a few times as my "ring guy" had an office in this building so the smell and clutter associated with making jewelry made this place feel very industrial and old technology. It was very much as you describe - dim lights and shady PI agency circa the 50s. I recall different level floors, narrow corridors, and linoleum tiles. A complete contrast from ring shopping at lets say Birks but oh so much more fun.
 
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