News   Nov 22, 2024
National Housing Day: City of Toronto and Riverdale Co-op Open Affordable Homes
 685     1 
News   Nov 22, 2024
Bauhaus Condos Rising in Toronto's Old Town
 1.2K     5 
News   Nov 22, 2024
49-Storey Waterfront Tower Proposed at Spadina and Queens Quay
 3.2K     8 

226 Queen St W at McCaul St (5s) DEAD

Thank god for this. The current building at the corner is an eyesore. If we could replace all of those circa 1960 2 storey structures that litter the city with something like this, I'd be very happy. I notice a lot of the old retail strips are broken up by some variation of this POS.
 
I'm probably going to get blasted for this, but I actually like the building; at least the top floor. If all the tacked-on signs and renos weren't there, and the brick was sandblasted, IMO the building would represent its era pretty well.

I think that the building that's being proposed, while helping to even further gentrify Queen West, needs some work. I wouldn't go as far as saying it looks bad, just kind of typical and even a bit boring. For some reason it seems late 90's to me.
 
Last edited:
I agree, I think it's a handsome building and a good scale for the street. I wish there were more of these going up on our main streets. 5-8 floors make for better streets than the usual 2 or 3.
 
Just to clarify my previous post, I mean I like the existing building that'll be torn down for this proposal.
 
It brings back memories, but I can't say I'd miss it. A guy I went to art school with used to work part time in the variety store there, which his family ran in the early '70s. I wonder what happened to Fred?
 
I don't mind the aesthetic of the existing building, it's just the terrible use of space and low density that bugs me about these blocks. Two storeys, low ceilings, and the fact that they're so often placed right in the middle of the larger continuous Victorian blocks. Really ruins their impact, though this building is better than a parking lot in the middle of a block.

Though I guess after looking at that stretch, the whole block fronting Queen is pretty short, including the Queen Street Market that I would argue is the most architecturally worthwhile. Excluding the two taller ones a little farther to the west of course.
 
Last edited:
Cassius i misread your post but i agree with you anyway. The original building would be fine if not for all the abuse it has endured.
 
It's a good-natured but anonymous-enough "taxpayer". If there were anything of such a scale from such a period I'd rather sing the praises of, it's the old Becker's store building until recently on Bedford across from St George subway...
 
Application: Zoning Review Status: Not Started

Location: 224 QUEEN ST W
TORONTO ON M5V 1Z6

Ward 20: Trinity-Spadina

Application#: 10 217465 ZPR 00 ZR Accepted Date: Jul 12, 2010

Project: Multiple-Use Building New Building

Description: Proposal to construct new 5-store mixed use building (ground and second floors retail, third and fourth floors offices, fifth floor residential). Convenience address: 226 Queen St W
 
.
226queen.jpg
 
Given the hip-consciousness of today's developers, I wouldn't be surprised if they figure some way to salvage that sign on someone's behalf. (Yeah, it may be more as design-porn living-room decoration; but hey, it's "something". Such is today's broad parameters of architectural/ephemera salvage)
 
Application: Zoning Review Status: Not Started

Location: 226 QUEEN ST W
TORONTO M5V 1Z6

Ward 20: Trinity-Spadina

Application#: 11 198943 ZSV 00 ZR Accepted Date: May 19, 2011

Project: Apartment Building Sign

Description: Proposal to erect and display two wall signs each at the south and east elevations of the building in conjunction with a proposed condominium developement on the premises. *Sorba Development Group*
 
That's gotta be a typo for Sorbara... doesn't it? (Not on their site yet, but still...)
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top