A collection of properties at the corner of Queen Street West and Brock Avenue is on the market for $22,500,000.  This is the same site where, in the spring of 2021, community members raised concerns about the demolition of historical buildings on the site to make way for a mixed-use development.

In Sept. 2020, an application was submitted to the city by the developer KingSett Capital for a (then) 9-storey mixed-use (primarily condominium) building at the northwest corner of Brock Ave and Queen W. The application proposed demolishing the 3-storey corner building at 1354-1356 Queen W and for the retention/restoration of the 2-storey adjacent building at 1358-1360 Queen W. According to a petition that called for the retention of the properties, 1354-1356 Queen St W was listed on the City of Toronto Heritage Register in late 2020 and is part of the Parkdale Main Street Heritage Conservation District. Community members were concerned that this historic main street building would be demolished before it was given full heritage protection (thankfully, in Nov 2021, the property at 1354-1356 Queen St W was designated as a heritage property).

According to BlogTo, the developer’s plans have since been adjusted to retain parts of the old buildings’ facades, although the buildings at 8-14 Brock Ave. will still be demolished.

When the property is purchased, the logistics will be set up for the new owners. According to realtor.ca, zoning by-law and official plan amendment applications for the property are already complete. The property is also being offered free of existing debt, with the existing vendor open to providing financing for qualified purchasers. The site currently has commercial and residential buildings occupied by various tenants, with lease termination clauses allowing for the new owner to start development sooner if needed.

Instead of nine storeys, the mixed-use redevelopment will now include 12 storeys, featuring 152,277 square feet of space, 222 residential units, 226 bike spaces, and 3,402 square feet of retail space at grade level.

The site is in a good location, located about 300 m west of Queen St W and Dufferin St, so future residents will benefit from excellent public transit access, grocery stores, restaurants, and cafes. It’s about an 18-minute walk (or less than a 5-minute drive) to the Dufferin Subway Station and the 501 Queen streetcar serves the route, with a streetcar stop (at Queen St W and Brock Ave) located adjacent to the property.