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adma said:
Actually, the Pantages/Canon sign only dates from the theatre's restoration 20 years ago. This is what it looked like before
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The six theatres inside were quite small. It was neat to see the 'dome' of the original theatre with a new dividing wall running up to it. It was even neater to remember the original Imperial, then this one in the pic, and now the Canon.

Yonge street during the pedestrian mall... a great part of the 70s. No entertainment, nothing, just benches, planters and blissed silence from cars.:)
 
Ah, the great films of 1973: Shaft in Africa, The Friends of Eddie Coyle, The Neptune Factor, Emperor of the North, The Harrad Experiment, Dillinger. Spoilt for choice!
 
Mustapha said:
The six theatres inside were quite small. It was neat to see the 'dome' of the original theatre with a new dividing wall running up to it. It was even neater to remember the original Imperial, then this one in the pic, and now the Canon.

Yonge street during the pedestrian mall... a great part of the 70s. No entertainment, nothing, just benches, planters and blissed silence from cars.:)
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That's not true. I remember going with my family to see concerts on Yonge St. during that period. (As well as kids shows)
 
They should install speakers in the signs and throw them up on Old City Hall. If anyone wants to recruit me for my photoshop skills, leave me a message in my inbox.

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I'm thinking that if Sam's ever gets resurrected on Yonge Street, it could be put in a new building sandwiched between the two heritage buildings across the Eaton Centre (and the two buildings could become parts of the store).

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what is the deal with those colonnaded buildings? I don't think I can ever remember them occupied and in good repair (well maybe the left one for a brief time?). Such an incredible shame.
 
Same question about the building with the Illicit sign. Fairly new but I've never seen it occupied. Its maybe 10 floors tall and looks like an apartment or hotel but I've never seen the lights on. Anybody know the deal with it?
 
The retail at the bottom has been for lease for a while but as far as I'm aware the apartment is short term rental.

People do live there though! i.e. it is occupied.

Regarding the two older buildings.

The one farther south I have no clue about - it's in bad shape to and I'm not sure who owns it.

The building to the North was bought a while ago buy some group and it's been for lease for the past long while now.
 
There was, not that long ago, to connect the buildings at the back and bridge the space between them with a big atrium that would be underneath a new structure going up....I think they were going to put some sort of boutique hotel there.

The cost would be prohibitive and the ground floor (with two old heritage buildings and a new glass atrium) would be an unworkable mish-mash.
 
Tewder said:
what is the deal with those colonnaded buildings? I don't think I can ever remember them occupied and in good repair (well maybe the left one for a brief time?). Such an incredible shame.
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The building to left in that photo is 205 Yonge St., originally a Bank of Toronto built in 1905. The one to the right is 197 Yonge St. and was originally a Canadian Bank of Commerce, also built in 1905. If memory serves, the space in between was once the Colonial Tavern. I don't know how long 197 and 205 have been vacant though, or why there's an Irish flag flying from 205. For the longest time I just assumed it was the Irish consulate (which is actually on Toronto St.), probably due to confusion with the Irish Embassy Pub and Grill at Yonge and Wellington.

EDIT: Just to put this post sort of back on to topic, I think the vacant site between 197 and 205 Yonge St. would make an excellent new home for the Sam's sign. Considering the site's history, it would make an excellent location for a museum of Toronto's music history.
 
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TKTKTK said:
Irish guy owns it. I remember reading an article about him buying it a couple years ago.

Inside 205 Yonge
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Until the late 1990s or so, 205 Yonge used to be owned by the City and housed Heritage Toronto and the City's Heritage Preservation Staff. The bankers hall was available for rental for weddings, etc. The City sold it as a cost-saving measure and it's been empty ever since.

It's very ironic that the Flickr caption for one of the photos found by TKTKTK says: "Part of a collaboration with Heritage Toronto to document some of the city's endangered heritage buildings. This building is currently up for lease." The city sold it in a fire sale to the first wallet that came along, and is now shocked that the building is endangered. Who knew.
 
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