Of all the buildings we ever tore down after the war, this one (and the board of trade building) was the biggest loss. Then again, you still can't drum up much sympathy for an insane asylum. Not many people want to work, let alone live, in a room that was once a sadistic torture chamber. It's probably for this reason that the Don Jail has been left to rot for so long, despite being one of the best heritage buildings in the city.
Though when it comes to "the wall", I believe the primary "heritage wall" remaining is the one along Shaw--still, the south and west walls are accounted for in whatever heritage planning, I'll tell you that.
Though hypothetically, even w/all of this, Ossington *could* have been punched through the wall and continued southward...if the Sudbury townhouses hadn't popped up first (and, I suppose, the lower part of Sudbury were reconfigured as part of the "Ossington extension". But as it stands, the existing wall remains a crucial "heritage definer"; after all, the redevelopment of the site doesn't (and shouldn't) involve expunging all evidence of what existed, a la the former Toronto General Hospital site on Gerrard N of Regent Park...
Great update Drum. A year ago they were still demolishing the Queen Street entrance of the old Admin. building at Ossington, this is moving along very well.
When do the 'condo's that are planned for Queen Street if I recall hit the market ?
Any good renderings of the entire area ? I checked out the site but nothing to details emerged.
The people here helped a friend of mine who was addicted very severely. I hope this new building help the surrounding neighborhood as well they the that person.
I don't think that there are any condos going up on the CAMH site. There will be an apartment block, but no condos that I have heard of, though not a bad idea at all.