Toronto 88 Queen | 167.35m | 52s | St Thomas Dev | Hariri Pontarini

I remember the church before it was torn down. The Record Peddler used to be across the street and that's where I went to buy all the fabulous punk record imports from the UK.
 
A few historical notes re Cooke's Presbyterian Church which occupied this site for more than a century. If social history does not interest you, stop here!

This congregation was known as the Irish church in Toronto Presbyterian circles. That is, it served Presbyterian immigrants, largely from Ulster, of whom there were many until approximately 1960. It doubtless lost a number of members in 1925 when many Presbyterian churches and individual members joined the new United Church. It remained a healthy congregation, however. By the 1980's, the decline in church attendance in Canada had already seriously set in. That decline was particularly severe at the time in downtown churches. Moreover, by that time the flow of immigration from Ulster had slowed and immigrants were less likely to seek a downtown church in any case, especially if they settled in the suburbs. Some downtown churches were able to adapt. Cooke's, with an elderly, very conservative and somewhat peculiar minister did not. It had dwindled to almost nothing when what seemed at the time a generous offer to buy the property, came to the relevant authorities. They accepted the deal. I know that some people think this was a mistake in retrospect. There remains to this day a Cooke's Fund in the Presbyterian Church which supports ministries of various sorts.

The fate of Presbyterian or any other churches will be of limited interest to many readers on this board. But the general outlines of the Cooke's Church story are not unusual and these developments are widely affecting the landscape of Toronto and many other cities. Stately old churches which were once the architectural foci of neighbourhoods are being demolished or adapted to new purposes by the score, perhaps by the hundred. It is a bit surprising to me that a phenomenon so widespread draws so little attention in circles interested in architecture and urban development. The attention comes, as in this case, much too late for the wider community to have significant influence on what is done with the buildings.
 
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Bye bye blight. I just hope it's not replaced with junk. I LOATHE this part of downtown.
 
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took this from my living room window this morning on Shuter street
 

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Looks Interesting Thanks - cannot wait to see the full plans

88, on Queen Street East, is the group's latest development. Occupying a full city block in Toronto's burgeoning downtown; it comprises residential buildings, a park, a hotel, and a beautiful covered arcade with cafes, restaurants and shops. 88. Redefining the urban experience.
 
took this from my living room window this morning on Shuter street

I'm hoping that the 4-square "logo" on the sign indicates some sort of pedestrian mews. This location would be ideal for that sort of public space and the retail that would come along with it. The current renders don't seem to indicate that, but who knows how old they are.
 
In today's context I agree. But 10-15 years ago people were probably saying that about every new park planned in Liberty Village / West Queen West. With the amount of development in the pipeline this part of town will change very quickly.

If we get a park, let it be a nicely designed public space, not a simple patch of grass with some trees like what we see everywhere, please.
 
There is something else cooking on this lot (Mutual @ Shuter)

30 MUTUAL ST
Ward 27 - Tor & E.York District

Proposed Use --- # of Storeys --- # of Units ---
Applications:
Type Number Date Submitted Status
Site Plan Approval 15 270190 STE 27 SA Dec 29, 2015 Application Received
 
There is something else cooking on this lot (Mutual @ Shuter)

30 MUTUAL ST
Ward 27 - Tor & E.York District

Proposed Use --- # of Storeys --- # of Units ---
Applications:
Type Number Date Submitted Status
Site Plan Approval 15 270190 STE 27 SA Dec 29, 2015 Application Received
wouldn't that simply be the first phase of the rumoured four towers on this development, probably be the North tower with the rendering of the park full of snow?
 

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