Major upgrades are taking place at the former Canada Post building at 1117 Queen St W! A pantry shop, dubbed 1117 Meats & Pantry, will be opening at the site in the near future. The owners have been documenting their progress on Instagram, and it seems that it’ll be the go-to place in the neighbourhood for meats, gourmet goods and pantry must-haves.
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The two-storey Beaux-Arts building, known as Postal Station C, is an official heritage site designation. It was built in 1903 by architects David Ewart & Samuel G. Curry and has been a landmark at the junction of Queen St W and Abell St for nearly 120 years before shutting its doors in 2020.
And locals can expect a lot more than a new pantry at this historic landmark.
As we previously discussed, a developer is planning to build a tower atop the structure, which has led to a petition to protect the site from major renovations for private interests. Late last month, Toronto City Council agreed to a proposal to alter the building following the Toronto Preservation Board’s recommendation that Council adopt confidential directions regarding the site’s heritage permit applications.
The developer is seeking to alter and partially demolish elements of the building as part of a proposed 28-storey mixed-use development. According to revised development applications submitted in February, the existing north, east, west and part of the south elevations of Postal Station C will be retained and incorporated into the base of the new tower. Above this, a curved glass-and-steel addition is planned, designed to gradually pull away from the heritage façades.
The design will include a total gross floor area of 17,353 square metres, consisting of 16,421 square metres of residential floor space and 932 square metres of community space. Â A total of 272 residential units are proposed, with one level of underground parking for 309 bicycles.
Last year, Council refused the Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment applications for the site, which led to the developer filing appeals with the Ontario Land Tribunal.
A 10-day hearing at the Tribunal is set to begin this July, so we’ll keep an eye out for future developments!
