Toronto Auto BLDG | 54.86m | 10s | Castlepoint Numa | a—A

I'm going by the info provided in one of the articles linked here. Do you have a height rating in meters for the CPB?
 
No bloody way the Tower Automotive was taller than a 21 storey office building. The Royal Bank Building at 8 King built opened in 1915 (which, if I recall correctly, took the title as tallest in the Commonwealth from the Dominium Bank at 1 King West however it's also possible the CPB falls inbetween the two) The first elevator is also nearly impossible.
 
Actually, 8 King (Royal Bank) across the street was built around the same time and happens to be taller, the peak of the skyline in c1920 photos...
 
Toronto film stage to get new partner

Big British movie firm to buy minority share in the city's underused facility, reports say
Dec 10, 2008 04:30 AM
Tony Wong
Business Reporter
John Spears
City Hall Bureau

Filmport, Toronto's giant but underused film stage, is about to get a new partner – the big British film company Pinewood Studios.

Sources told the Star yesterday a group including Pinewood, ROI Capital and Castlepoint Realty Partners is buying 60 per cent of Filmport.

However, the deal is not firm yet.

No one involved in the deal was talking yesterday, but a late addition to the agenda of today's city council meeting is a confidential report on proposed amendments to Filmport's lease with the Toronto Economic Development Corp., or Tedco.

Tedco is owned by the city. It holds the land on which Filmport sits, and has leased it to Filmport for 99 years.

A source said the lease amendments are needed because Pinewood has struck a deal to buy a minority interest in Filmport.

That should be good news for Filmport, whose huge sound stage in the Portlands has been sitting idle since it opened this summer.

Pinewood produces blockbuster movies. Recent films include the newest James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, The Bourne Ultimatum and Brideshead Revisited.

Pinewood in fact had bid in 2004 to build what is now the Filmport studio, but lost out to a competing bid. Pinewood and Castlepoint Group then bought a site at Bloor St. W. and Lansdowne Ave. to build their own studio.

Alfredo Romano, a principal at Castlepoint, would not comment yesterday.

However, if the deal goes through, the west end Toronto studio that was supposed to be slated for Pinewood would likely not proceed, says a source.

If Pinewood does proceed with a partnership in Filmport and brings production business to Toronto, it would be good news for an industry that has been hit hard in recent years.

Spending on movie, television, commercials and music videos in Toronto peaked at $1.3 billion in 2000, but last year had declined to $755.8 million, according to the city's film and television office.

The industry was also buffeted earlier this year when the Canadian dollar soared in value, increasing the cost of filming in Canada for U.S. companies.

Source
 
Thanks for posting that Khristopher (in the Filmport thread too - it's relevant in both places of course - it may be the death knell for one and the saviour of the other). I'd been wondering what was up.

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Too bad, I was really looking forward to this studio being built here. As of last week they were (and still likely are) clearing the site. It wouldn't surprise me now if some giant retailer tries to pluck down a big box store on this site. This site could change from high end jobs and employment that enhance the surrounding neighborhoods to a low paying big box store sucking the life out of them. Or I suppose condos like we have just down the road like bebloor and the accompanying townhouses (that happen to be already falling apart). But I suppose I'm getting ahead of my self.
Bad news but I suppose FilmPort being saved is more important at this time. And who knows, maybe pinewood will keep the site and maybe build something in 10-30 years.
 
Somehow, it seems a tragic waste--deconstructing the existing building on behalf of what turns out to be zilch, and potentially worse.

Wonder what the fate of the tower will be...
 
Bummer ... my company has an option on land in the area that now looks worthless. It was gonna be some nice little infill, too. Go to hell, world!
 
I guess this means this project won't be going forward...

Pinewood expands into Canada

Pinewood Shepperton, which owns three TV and film studios in the UK, has entered into a five-year management deal with Canada's Filmport Studios, which will be renamed Pinewood Toronto Studios.

The deal will see Pinewood Shepperton, whose UK ventures are Pinewood, Shepperton and Teddington studios, earn fees based on Pinewood Toronto's revenue performance.

This is Pinewood Shepperton's first non-UK investment. The company will continue to be based in London, with day-to-day operations at Pinewood Toronto overseen by new MD Edith Myers, replacing Ken Ferguson.

Martin Buxton
25 Jun 2009
© C21 Media 2009
 
So is this site on the market again then, or is Pinewood holding it in reserve for when Toronto takes over the movie business again and Filmport just isn't big enough?!

(Probably for sale...)

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Tower Automotive (158 Sterling Rd.) future - community meeting

Castlepoint are holding a community meeting about this property on Monday January 18th, 7:00pm:

We will be hosting the first of our Community Outreach meeting(s) for the Sterling properties owned by Castlepoint on January 18, 2010 - 7pm at the Church of the First Born (72 Perth Ave.) located directly next to our vacant property fronting on Perth Street. Parking is available on the vacant lands.

Coffee/Tea and cookies are provided

http://www.junctiontriangle.ca/node/539
 
What's the future of Moloney Electric? Maybe there can be a bit of broader urban-scheming about this particular industrial-aesthetic node...
 

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