Isabella/Huntley block (Rogers land assembly)

[Thor H]

Report from the UJNA:

Isabella/Huntley land assembly

Rogers has now purchased all but one of the residential properties that comprise the balance of the block on which its headquarters are situated ( i.e. the north side of Isabella and the west side of Huntley from Isabella northward). No formal proposal has been submitted to City Planning and Rogers is not saying what it intends to do with this property, or when. The purchased apartment buildings are essentially standing empty and the townhouse owners have been given a timeframe to depart. The UJNA is anxious to ensure that the residential streetscape is preserved on this land, which is zoned “neighbourhood†(low-rise residential).

Google Maps view of the block: Here

I just found this thread. It is 2020, I live in 44 Huntley St. We are still the only building left that has actual people living in it. Needless to say it's an ominous feeling walking by the rest of those empty residences every day and night and I can't help but wonder when they will make their move and kick us all out of our homes. As it stands, Rogers just uses the properties for employee parking, meanwhile there is a housing crisis in the city. It would be nice to know what is going on here.

 

[junctionist]

It's such a charming streetscape. I hope they don't reduce it to a wall of glass.

 

[Tuscani01]

I live right by here and have never noticed that the houses were all vacant or that Rogers owned it all. Interesting!

 

[Thor H]

The original circa 1992 Confederation Life Building is sandwiched in between a north and south wing Rogers completed in 2002/03. I don't see why further expansion is so foreign to some. The thing to note that as part of the expansion, Rogers was zoned into building residential along Huntley. An expansion would likely be 3 to 4 storeys fronted by residential. Something along these lines would still add significant space and offer large floor plates.

The Residential spaces in the Rogers building also sit empty, it's all very strange.

 

[Tuscani01]

The Residential spaces in the Rogers building also sit empty, it's all very strange.

Ive heard that those units are used by executives when they need to stay in town. They’ve also been used for filming.

 

[AlbertC]

Such a shame that these buildings have been left vacant for around 6-7 years now. I don't have any substantial information but can conceptualize around 2 main theories. First is that if and when the need comes to expand office space, they'll utilize this land towards an extension for their headquarters. Secondly, since 2013 when this report first came up, Rogers have actually gotten into the real estate business and are a partner in the M City development in Mississauga. Perhaps a slight unlikelier of the 2 theories but still a possibility for the future.