Toronto Maison Wellesley | 49.79m | 14s | Graywood | Diamond Schmitt

Red_Bulmer

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OMG! WWIII! As a former longterm resident I'll say that the Villagers don't take kindly to capitalist development. Got to preserve the "village feel."
 
I'm pretty happy to see that parking lot be filled in, it's much larger than it looks. It does serve yearly as a concert space though.
A small development like what was approved for The Beer Store up the street would work well but it's going to be difficult.
I think they will have to keep the entire Victorian building Crews and Tangos is in and the patio/tree in front of Boutique Bar.
This is a bustling noisy strip at night, having the residential units as far away from the street as possible would be a good idea.
This will be a particularly difficult one for the developer to please the community.
 
I've been hearing about how some developer or another "is consulting the community to redevleop this site into condos" for 15 years. I'm curious why this report is more credible?
 

In a statement, a Graywood rep said the development is in the early planning stages and that Crews & Tangos recently extended its lease for two years.

"While Graywood has reached out to a few community groups to set up preliminary meetings, we are early in the planning process and there are no concrete plans at this moment," the Graywood spokesperson wrote in an email to NOW. "Graywood has recently signed a two-year lease extension with the operators of Crews & Tangos and we anticipate no changes to their operations during that time.

"It’s our intention to work with our tenants and the community to understand the vision and values of the Church-Wellesley neighbourhood, in order to have that feedback inform our development proposal."

In an interview with NOW, CWNA co-founder and president Connie Langille described the consultations as early steps towards a development proposal that would be submitted to the city later this year.
 
I'm pretty happy to see that parking lot be filled in, it's much larger than it looks. It does serve yearly as a concert space though.
A small development like what was approved for The Beer Store up the street would work well but it's going to be difficult.
I think they will have to keep the entire Victorian building Crews and Tangos is in and the patio/tree in front of Boutique Bar.
This is a bustling noisy strip at night, having the residential units as far away from the street as possible would be a good idea.
This will be a particularly difficult one for the developer to please the community.
I don't think it will be noisy at all considering there is a slim chance the street retail will live on as a bar/club scene within this new residential vision. The Victorian storefronts will likely become dry cleaners and banks that close at 5pm.
 
'Erasing our history': Thousands sign petition to save iconic drag bar from condo development

Angelina King · CBC News · Posted: Mar 12, 2020 6:00 AM ET

The fight is on to keep a beloved drag bar in Toronto's gay village from meeting the same fate as many iconic spaces in the neighbourhood: becoming yet another condo development.

Crews and Tangos has become synonymous with launching drag queens' careers in Toronto. But now, the owner of the site, Graywood Developments, is said to be looking at the possibility of converting the property into a range of uses, including residential and commercial. In response, more than 30,000 people have signed a petition to save it.

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Graywood has set up preliminary meetings with community groups and no application has been filed with the city.

The company said it has no concrete plans for the space yet, but according to the Church Wellesley Neighbourhood Association, Graywood's vision is to introduce a mix of uses including retail and residential.

Crews and Tangos recently signed a two-year lease extension and Graywood said it doesn't anticipate any changes to the bar's operation in that time.

"It's our intention to work with our tenants and the community to understand the vision and values of the Church- Wellesley neighbourhood, in order to have that feedback inform our development proposal," a statement from Graywood reads.

 
Graywood has released the following about their plans:

Statement re: Church Street development on behalf of Graywood Developments and Michael Ramawad of Crews & Tangos
As many are aware, Graywood Developments has recently acquired the 506-516 Church St. properties. Part of this development site includes the location of Toronto’s beloved drag bar, Crews & Tangos. Since acquiring the property, Graywood has been in dialogue with business owner Michael Ramawad, as well as local Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam regarding the future of the business.​
While the spread of COVID-19 and the immediate safety of our friends, patrons and community members remains top of mind, Michael and the team at Graywood Developments felt it was important to address the long term viability of Crews & Tangos. The significant challenges before us do not diminish the fact that the future of Crews & Tangos remains a vital concern for many.​
Though the development process has just started, it has always been Graywood’s intention to continue working collaboratively with the community to respect and honour the fabric of Toronto’s Gay Village. Graywood and Michael have been in constant, productive dialogue since Graywood acquired the property. To ensure the Church-Wellesley and LGBTQ2S+ community do not lose an inclusive, safe space, the Crews & Tangos lease has been extended for two years during which time regular operations will continue (notwithstanding immediate interruptions due to the impact of COVID-19).​
We are also happy to announce that Graywood Developments and Michael Ramawad are exploring a joint plan aimed at maintaining a presence for Crews & Tangos in the future, new development. In the coming weeks Michael Ramawad will join Graywood in meetings with key, neighbourhood and community organizations in an effort to solidify the community engagement process. Any and all meetings will follow protocols set forth by local health authorities amidst the spread of COVID-19.​
“Over the past few weeks, the outpouring of emotion towards Crews & Tangos has been incredibly heartwarming. Crews & Tangos has been a home to me for more than 10 years now,” says Michael Ramawad, Owner, Crews & Tangos. “It was the first place I was comfortable enough to come out and to live my truth. I’ve witnessed proposals, weddings, and people’s journeys as they discovered a place where they felt safe and accepted. Crews & Tangos means as much to me as it does to you, and together, with Graywood, we are committed to finding a solution to maintain this crucial space for the LGBTQ2S+ community.”​
“Since the beginning of this process, we’ve been very fortunate to listen to and learn from Michael. While we understood the significance of this venue, Michael has deepened our appreciation about how valuable this space is for LGBTQ2S+ community members,” says Christine Yee, Director of Development, Graywood. “Though we are still early in the process we are committed to working with Michael and the community to preserve and maintain the cultural heritage and legacy of Crews & Tangos.”​
 
It was only a matter of time before this site got picked up by a developer. With that said, I do think it's critical to retain or re-create some sort of LGBTQ space (ie. Crews and Tangos).

The City has an employment replacement policy; they should have a retail replacement policy as well, especially in cases where the retail is a defining element of the place. I'm fine with redevelopment as long as it provides something more than drycleaners and pharmacies along the street.
 
Crews & Tangos' second level sandwiched by residential units? Yeah... no. That's a terrible idea. If they were interested in making a real effort here, we'd at least see offices on the lowers levels of the podium so that the bars can operate outside of working hours. Those two uses would mix far better than condos on the other side of the wall from drag shows.
 

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