Roy Square
Historic nook faces last days before condos
Demolition Next
Ashley Spegel
National Post
January 25, 2008
One of downtown Toronto's historic nooks will be demolished next month, evicting shops, eateries and a Toronto heritage archive to make way for a condo project.
Roy Square, a quiet pedestrian square tucked amid the hubbub of Yonge and Bloor streets, will be bulldozed to make way for the 80-storey 1 Bloor luxury condo tower.
"It will be a tragedy when this beautiful little place goes. It's a centre in the main centre of the city, and the people who know about it love it," said Mark Dunn, who has been eating for six years at The Falafel House, one of dozens of ethnic restaurants, trinket shops and other tenants being forced to move or permanently close.
In warm weather, Roy Square is populated by patrons perched on the stairs exiting Bloor subway station and on the white plastic chairs and tables outside restuarants. Its loyal clientelle bring a community feel to its disconnected is relatively obscure, but what is known can be explained by Jane Beecroft, a founder of the Canadian Heritage Project, a volunteer organization that archives Toronto's heritage.
Founded in 1983, the CHP has been housed in offices above Roy Square for 12 years. The community-run group acts as a study area, research archive and preserver of artifacts in the area bounded by Sherbourne Street, Dufferin Street, Wellesley Street and St. Clair Avenue. It is among the tenants losing its Roy Square home.
"It's a joke the way the city rebuilds everything," said Ms. Beecroft. "Toronto is too concerned with money, glitz and new big buildings to preserve its landmarks and heritage."
Ms. Beecroft says much of the city's history is rooted at the Yonge and Bloor intersection, and she's insulted the city dismissed the significance of it.
"Groups like ours tries to maintain our city's heritage, but [overall] Toronto doesn't support its heritage."
The CHP hopes a philanthropist will rescue its group by donating a space big enough to accommodate its 2,700 square
dwellings, making it an ideal place to enjoy a variety of cheap meals.
"We picked this location because it's right near the subway and off the main streets, and it brings in a lot of business," said Sukhi Singh, owner of the Biryani House, which has served low-priced Indian food in Roy Square for 10 years.
"We're moving around the corner but we can't have a patio like we did here and I hope that doesn't affect business in the summer."
Other tenants, like Roy's Garden, are closing down permanently. ''The food we serve is so cheap," said owner Al Len Kwan. "There's no way we can keep the prices low when we have to pay higher rent at another location."
Roy Square was born in 1970, when landowner Douglas Matthews named it for land surveyor Thomas Roy, who outlined the first railway built in Toronto, which stretched from Yonge Street to Lake Simcoe.
The history of Roy Square feet of filing cabinets, overflowing bookshelves and paper-cluttered desks.
Like the heritage project, most Roy Square tenants knew of 1 Bloor's takeover
and long ago started looking for new locations. Other retailers, like Nail's by Annie, signed a lease 15 months ago without knowing what was to come.
"I rented this spot from the previous landlord last year and I wasn't told anything about it," said Annie Nzuyen, owner of the nail salon. "I like this area but the rent is very high at other locations close by, and now I have to relocate far away."
Demolition is slated for the end of next month, according to Barbara Lawlor, president of Baker Real Estate, which is handling the 1 Bloor sale. "Some of the stores are moving out already," she said. "A lot of vacancies have been created and the others will be moving out at the end of February."
When the wrecking ball takes its first strike at Roy Square's foundation, a small piece of Mr. Dunn's heart will crumble with it.
"Roy Square is like a little oasis in the desert and it will be sorely missed."
