This week's Throwback Thursday takes us to the east side of Downtown Toronto and the intersection of Richmond and Sherbourne, where a slowly-crawling wave of gentrification has dramatically altered the landscape over the last decade. Back in 2007, the area was still quite rough around the edges, though change was on the horizon. We're doing a double-take this week, and will be looking at changes to both the northeast and the northwest corners.

At the intersection's northeast corner, a presentation centre was being constructed for The Modern, a 17-storey condominium development by Empire Communities.

Northeast corner of Richmond and Sherbourne, 2007, image by Forum contributor casaguy

A few months shy of a decade later, and the corner is barely recognizable. The 2017 view is dominated by The Modern, which north of the corner now contributes retail space to a stretch formerly occupied by a small commercial building and an auto service centre.

Northeast corner of Richmond and Sherbourne, 2017, image by Jack Landau

Just across Sherbourne, in 2007 the intersection's northwest corner was marked by construction hoarding for a six-storey, Sweeny &Co.-designed mixed-use project at 294 Richmond Street, developed by Celotti Building Corporation. 

Northwest corner of Richmond and Sherbourne, 2007, image by Forum contributor casaguy

10 years later, the northwest corner has also been transformed by the 2009 completion of the building. The project's cladding of zinc and glass curtain wall panels is an interesting departure from the surrounding Victorian architecture. At street level, the building's two main ground level retail spaces now support a popular Italian restaurant and a dentist's office.

Northwest corner of Richmond and Sherbourne, 2017, image by Jack Landau

We will return next week with another look at the changing face of Toronto!