Toronto The Jack Condos | 39.01m | 11s | Aspen Ridge | BDP Quadrangle

Actually, it's interesting how said "FM muzak station" has been evolving into today's version of what 1050 CHUM once was, i.e. a de facto Top 40 station--then again, that might say something about how Top 40 is more of a Peter Pan/cougar-bar format these days, because kids don't listen to the radio anymore.

It's more like, the average commercial radio listener these days has the musical taste of a dead stick--and why not, given how ratings diaries and music-testing methodology seem geared to telemarketer patsies and the like. For one's world to revolve around a CHUM station these days is like a fantasy world where, ideally, Eatons and Simpsons and Bargain Harolds and Consumers Distributing and Knob Hill Farms and the pre-revival Pop Shoppe still existed...
 
urbandreamer said:
Just so the out of towners know what we're talking about, taken today, by me:

DSC09525.jpg


Pulverize it says I!

ps: the Terroni's patio I took this photo from is really relaxing, you wouldn't know there's a (insert future) yuppiestack across the street! :p (What's a yuppiestack? A condo tower....:))
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It's actually a fairly nice building, but none the less a bit of a waste of space given the area. The 6 story condos above Terroni, though tacky, are the perfect example of ideal Avenue style development. Retail on the ground floor, and 4 or 5 levels of residential above. The intersection of Yonge and Balmoral is a perfect example of exactly how the city needs to develop in the future - less the tackiness.
 
CHUM site slated for luxury condos

But radio station's landmark red sign will get a new home

The Star published an article on the CHUM building this morning.

July 29, 2008
Theresa Boyle
Urban Affairs reporter

The CHUM building on Yonge St. is going to be torn down and turned into luxury condos, but its iconic sign will be saved.

The red landmark sign will be moved this winter to the new location of CHUM Radio, now under renovation at Richmond and Duncan Sts., said Scott Henderson, spokesperson for CTVglobemedia.

Aspen Ridge Homes recently purchased the CHUM building, located just south of St. Clair Ave., for $21.5 million. Aspen president Andrew De Gasperis said the company plans to build high-end condominiums there.

The two-storey building, a former book bindery, became home to CHUM in the late 1950s. It was the first "Top 40" station in Canada.

There is conflicting information about the history of the "CHUM DIAL 1050" sign. According to some reports, the existing sign is actually a replica of the original. As this story has it, the original sign was demolished in 1986. Residents from a nearby apartment building cut it down, along with a broadcasting tower, believing it was causing interference with their TV signal.

According to another story, the original sign was repaired. Yet another story has it that only the broadcasting tower was cut down.

In any event, Henderson said a new home would be found for the treasure at the CTVglobemedia complex in the Entertainment District.

Ward 22 Councillor Michael Walker said he's pleased to hear the sign is being saved.

"I'm happy to hear it will be preserved because I think it is part of the heritage of the city. CHUM was the first rock 'n' roll station here," he said.

Walker said he's going to look into getting heritage status for the sign to ensure it's protected into the future. "It's part of our radio heritage," he said.

Meantime, De Gasperis said no decisions have been made yet on the height of the planned condo. He noted the building will be leased back to CTVglobemedia for up to three years.

"We have some time. We don't even have an architect yet. We just purchased it," he said.
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Therion said:
Has anything been submitted to the city about the redevelopment for the site? Who bought the land?
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That's what I am wondering about. Is another 40+ storey tower planned for this site -- and if so, what would it look like?
 
They also build vommit-inducing cookie-cutter homes in the suburbs.

On the other hand, Vu Condos is a pretty great project.
 
Mongo said:
That's what I am wondering about. Is another 40+ storey tower planned for this site -- and if so, what would it look like?
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Why, necessarily? I could just as well see something of the same urbanistically-correct "Paul Bedford" scale as its 90s neighbours--which, incidentally, were IIRC built in a short space of time on land that CHUM sold off.

Though whether it'll be Chedingtonista-bait a la what's across the street, or "Stewart Street Modern"--we'll see. (I'd encourage the latter.)
 
The Chum sign is now gone. I don't know when it came down but it's an amazing coincidence that the Chum sign & the Sam the Record Man sign came down within a month of each other after sitting there for, what, 40 years. I read in an earlier post that the Chum sign will be relocated to Richmond & Duncan.
 
Much is simply CHUM rearanged. It was used at first for CHUM's old record label, but when they started MUCH, they just kept the same name.
 
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