The Cameron House is being sold
the globe reports:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/the-cameron-house-on-the-market/article1372297/
Toronto's Cameron House on the market
Queen Street West fixture of bar and arts scene listed for $2.9-million
Josh Wingrove
Toronto — The Globe and Mail
Published on Friday, Nov. 20, 2009 8:00PM EST
Last updated on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009 3:15AM EST
A staple of the Queen West arts scene is up for sale.
The Cameron House bar, at 408 Queen St. W., is listed for $2.9-million, the first time in 28 years that it has hit the market. Operating owner Cindy Matthews said the decision was six years in the making, and hopes she and co-owners Paul Sannella and Anne-Marie Ferraro can find a buyer who will continue the Cameron’s community-based approach to art and music.
“Our lives are moving on, and we just felt that it was time for a lot of reasons. We would love to see it continue forever, and we hope that it might,” the mother of two said. “Everybody’s going to have time to reminisce. It’s not going away overnight.”
They chose to keep the bar open during the sale process, she said.
"I really want to people to celebrate it still, and enjoy it, and realize it's still continuing, just as it always has."
The Cameron served for decades as a pub and hotel before 1981, when it changed ownership and became an arts hub. When it changed hands, it did so for a bargain: $2. Apartments upstairs have been rented to artists over the years, including some who would play shows to pay the rent, said Ms. Matthews, who came on as an employee in 1983 and bought out one of the three owners in 1989.
The building and 2,600-square-foot plot are for sale, with nine bedrooms and two bathrooms above the bar and on a site listed as mixed-use zoning.
"The hippest neighbourhood in the city awaits your style and imagination," the listing says.
Ms. Matthews said the Cameron has been a "labour of love," and hopes a current or past member of the Cameron community might consider taking over the effort.
“My biggest dream was that someone who came through the Cameron and has gone on to make money will go, ‘wow,’ ” and buy it, Ms. Matthews said. “It’s a very difficult time for us. But things move on, and I hope they move on in a really positive direction.
"You can only do something like this for so long. And we've done it longer."
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wishful thinking? this better not be sold to a developer.
