Proposed tower on site of iconic gay bar meets opposition as community council rejects plan
CBC
A plan by a developer for a mixed-use building at the site of a popular drag bar in Toronto's gay village has been rejected by the Toronto and East York Community Council after many residents objected to the proposal.
Graywood Developments, a Toronto-based real estate investment management company, is proposing to build a 48-storey mixed-used building at 506 to 516 Church St. The building would contain 574 residential units, about 4,000 square feet of retail and commercial space and a "new community space for queer supportive programming."
The site is home to the beloved drag bar Crews & Tangos — Crews opened in the mid-to-late 90s and merged with a second bar, Tango, in 2004.
At its meeting last Tuesday, the community council approved a city staff report that said the application "doesn't conform" to policies on character of the Church and Wellesley neighbourhood.
The community council will ask Toronto city council to reject the application at its February meeting. It will also ask council to ask city staff to appear before the Ontario Land Tribunal if the decision to reject the application is appealed to that administrative body.
Community members at a Nov. 21, 2024 public consultation meeting said the building is too tall and doesn't fit into the village.
Coun. Chris Moise, who represents Ward 13, Toronto Centre, said he opposes the redevelopment because he doesn't think the height of the proposed tower is suitable for the area.
"The Church-Wellesley neighborhood is a mid-rise community and it is very unique to the city. It's the queer village and it's important to us," Moise said.
Moise said Graywood Developments had earlier proposed a 14-storey building at the site and those plans were approved by the city in 2022. He said 14 storeys is a more appropriate height for the village's character but that the developer changed its plans.
"The community is very concerned about the rapid change for the village. They feel that they're losing their cultural appeal," Moise said. "This application really goes against all the things that we care about and this is why I'm so passionate about fighting this."
Moise said the community is also concerned about shadows that the building may cast on the local parks, including Barbara Hall Park.
"We've been very clear from the very beginning what our expectations are in regards to what we want the village to be. We want the village to be a cultural hub, which I'm working on. We want it to be a destination.It's unique to the city and it has a lot of historic value to us. We want to maintain that."
Graywood Development, for its part, said in a statement on Monday that it updated its plan because of the need for more density.
"While we already have secured approval for a redevelopment, our new submission proposes greater density than what is currently in place, as a response to the housing crisis and the site's proximity to rapid transit," the statement reads.
When Stephanie Gamble watched her mother model the first dress she made, smiling wide and walking an imaginary runway, she knew that was what she wanted to keep doing in her life.
'Tis the season for cuddling on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate and watching holiday movies. And for people in B.C.'s Interior, that can increasingly mean seeing their home communities on display.
Every year, snowy owls spread their wings and migrate down to the Prairies, where they enjoy access to plenty of rodent prey in vast open spaces.
This month has been a busy stretch at the Upper Room Food Bank in Charlottetown.
N.W.T. Education Minister Caitlin Cleveland says she has received the final report from an independent investigation into education bodies in the Dehcho region.
P.E.I.’s auditor general says he’s concerned and disappointed that the projected deficit has doubled what government initially estimated it would be — and he's urging the province to balance its budget.
A man found not criminally responsible for stabbing five people to death at a Calgary house party is getting more freedoms but not an absolute discharge.
A man has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting death of a Toronto mother outside a supervised consumption site in Leslieville.
Russian olive trees — sometimes known as silver berry or oleaster — are small, ornamental plants with silvery leaves and black bark, and small yellow flowers and silver fruit that look like miniature olives. They’re pretty, but they’re a problem.
The Yukon Legislative Assembly’s fall sitting ended on Thursday after the territorial government introduced and passed a supplementary budget.
A Canadian military counter-intelligence operative, who stands accused of passing sensitive information to Ukraine, was involved in an investigation into allegations that a leading Canadian defence journalist was a longtime Russian asset.
An Alberta panel aimed at finding ways the province can strengthen its autonomy has offered up seven recommendations, including options for referendum topics.
People won't be able to travel along B.C.'s Highway 3 without significant delays and detours over the holiday season, says the Ministry of Transportation.