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Gem on Sterling Road?

HHC

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I came across this building as I was fooling around with google street view today and it really piqued my interest. It's located on Sterling Road at roughly Bloor and Lansdowne. It seems like a real gem, not sure what it was used for in the past, but it most definitely looks abandoned.

Does anyone on this board have any background information regarding this building? When was it built, architecture style, what was it used for, does the city plan to restore it? It looks as if the entire area's under some sort of construction. The lot right beside the building actually looks to have some equipment laid out on the ground.

Hopefully one of you history buffs could help me out here.

sterlingrd.png
 
That would be the former Tower Automotive Building at 158 Sterling, previously the Northern Aluminium Company Building. One of my favourites - used to live near there around when I took the pics in the above link.

Its also a heritage property:
http://app.toronto.ca/HeritagePreservation/details.do?folderRsn=2432483&propertyRsn=163263

Built 1920; architect: J.W. Schreiber.

Emporis lists it as "Chicago School" - ?
Not really sure myself.

Excellent, thanks a lot. Is the Junction Triangle under any particular redevelopment (specifically this area)? I did notice some construction materials scattered around the vicinity of the building. I think you're right about the Chicago School reference, it does emulate it quite well.

It's interesting how SSP lists it as Art Deco - I'm not seeing it at all. http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=56970
 
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There seems to be a thread about this building here: http://urbantoronto.ca/showthread.php?493-Pinewood-Studios-DEAD-(Bloor-Lansdowne)/page4

Looks like most of the area is being demolished to make way for a new mixed-use development/community:
http://www.junctiontriangle.ca/node/556

...but at least the tower will stay.

What a shame that project died, this street really has the potential to become a district with a lot of character. I also read up that most of the soil within the vacinity's contaminated so they'll be demolishing a majority of the low-rise industrial structures in the area; they'll be saving the facade materials (for God knows what), sparing the TA building of course, and the historic smokestack next to it. Nothing's come up recently in terms of new project's though, the last couple died.
 
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As a matter of interest the property immediately to the south, 128 Sterling, was sold a few months ago. This is the old Scythes Textile building, a four-storey loft, probably a century old, about 90,000 square feet. The purchaser was Urban Capital.

This whole neighbourhood is being positioned for some major redevelopment of obsolete old industrial properties. Expect some "loft" residential developments.
 
As a matter of interest the property immediately to the south, 128 Sterling, was sold a few months ago. This is the old Scythes Textile building, a four-storey loft, probably a century old, about 90,000 square feet. The purchaser was Urban Capital.

This whole neighbourhood is being positioned for some major redevelopment of obsolete old industrial properties. Expect some "loft" residential developments.

Scythes, huh? Now there's one building that, if adaptive-reused, should have its wall advertising retained--it's surreally covered with it, if you look carefully...
 

Tower Automotive by Vic Gedris, on Flickr

In addition to the writeup from a meeting with Castlepoint this year that EVCco already posted (http://www.junctiontriangle.ca/node/556) I also have an interior photo tour posted here: http://www.junctiontriangle.ca/node/587

And my complete gallery from that day is posted on my own website: http://vic.gedris.org/pics/2009-12-07/

Also....over the last few weeks, all of the low-rise buildings on the site have been demolished, including the wonderful brick and window facade that faced the north side of the property along Perth Avwe. and Sterling Rd. The chimney and of course the skyscraper are still there.
 
Interesting because sources (emporis.com) list's it was built in 1919. Great finds.

Notice the question mark. When labelling the photo, they weren't sure when it was taken.

I find the photo interesting because I didn't know that Sterling Road had a railway siding in the past.
 

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