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I'm here to cockblock your scene Clubland. - Condo
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| Dior Homme |
| quote: | A large sign is fixed over a front window at 117 Peter Street; in official city lettering, the headline reads: "Development Proposal." The three-story warehouse sits on the southeast corner of Peter and Richmond - the epicenter of Clubland - and has hosted some of the areas most notorious and successful nightclubs. On any given weekend thousands of would be bar-stars descend on the downtown core in a quest to see and be seen.
This "proposal" could change all that. In a neighbourhood that seems to thrive on reinvention, this could signify the next phase for the Richmond Street corridor. In the area's current incarnation, individual businesses generally only last a few years, often being shut down for liquor or capacity violations, but when one closes it only creates space and opportunity for another to open.
At present, 117 Peter houses Embassy, Home, and Traffik nightclubs - as well as a women's fitness centre and a pizza parlour. But over the years, the elongated windows in the red and brown brick have offered a peek into a shifting neighbourhood. Throughout Peter Street's many lives - from manufacturing district all the way to club district and beyond - that building on the corner has changed too, following the trends laid out by the neighbourhood. Buntin-Reid Co., a paper manufacturer, erected the building in 1931 when they moved from Yonge Street.
The company was founded in 1858; its original headquarters fell victim to the Great Toronto Fire of 1904, but moved to another location elsewhere on Yonge until finding it's new permanent residence on Peter. When Buntin-Reid arrived on Peter Street the neighbourhood was a manufacturing Mecca at the edge of the city.
As the city began to swell, property values rose with it and it wasn't long before the factories began pursuing greener cheaper pastures. When Buntin-Reid moved to Mississauga in the early sixties, Peter Street was already shifting from manufacturing centre to more service oriented industries. Typesetters, appliance repair shops and various importers began occupying the factories' former spaces.
Soon after Buntin-Reid's beeline for the 'burbs, the Bank of Nova Scotia moved in and for the next thirty years the area comfortably expanded, continuing its makeover. By the eighties Scotiabank had vacated too and was replaced by a graphic design firm, foreshadowing another trend that would continue as more creative based companies would soon swarm into the area.
The first inklings of what was to come came in the early nineties. At the time the street was still mostly littered with offices that emptied out at night and in 1995 Orchid Nightclub opened at 117 Peter. Orchid was among the originals of the newly minted scene, but like most clubs it ran its course and by the turn of the century it was being traded in for a new image to keep the masses interested.
For the next decade the neighbourhood continued to redefine itself, this time as a late night playground for the young. It seems the city was slow to catch on to what was happening in the area and for the next few years there was little stopping the former manufacturing district's metamorphosis.
Today that evolution continues. That piece of plywood fastened to the brick of 117 Peter Street signals the next phase in the districts life - its residential phase. A proposal has been submitted to the city to build a 29-story hotel/condominium. The request is still being debated and fine tuned within City Hall, but there is little doubt change is on the horizon.
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Yes, right in the middle of the district.
Here |
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| Endlesswave |
Condo + hotel to see what??? You usually build a hotel where there is stuff to do nearby (at least it's what I think it...)
If everything in the area is being turned into a residence what will there actually be left to see? |
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| infinity HiGH |
| quote: | Originally posted by Endlesswave
Condo + hotel to see what??? You usually build a hotel where there is stuff to do nearby (at least it's what I think it...)
If everything in the area is being turned into a residence what will there actually be left to see? |
I think that's the whole point. Get rid of all the diverse attractions Toronto has to offer and make it one boring ass city. |
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| Magnetonium |
Its all about money, folks, thats the bottom line. There's tons of bucks to be made with this big real estate project. |
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| Jayx1 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Dior Homme
Yes, right in the middle of the district.
Here |
ive known about this for 2 years. Which is why ive been going on about condo politics. The raids in the ent district are purely political which is why they rarely make the news.
EDIT: like do u really think the unpublicized raid at Home 2 months ago was for altruistic reasons?
Step 1: Destroy the current business to make them worthless (you dont have to buy them out) |
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| Swamper |
Man... I loved Orchid.
...and 29 storeys? wtf? wow. |
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| ChemEnhanced |
| I can't wait to buy a condo downtown and kick all you little bastards out of my Toronto |
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| Jayx1 |
a somewhat related story:
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Council 'corrupt', Ford charges
City council’s decision to award an untendered, 20-year contract to Boardwalk Pub operator Tuggs Inc. smacks of civic corruption, Councillor Rob Ford says.
“If Tuggs isn’t, then I don’t now what is,” Ford told the Toronto Sun’s editorial board.
“I can’t accuse anyone or I can’t pinpoint it, but why do we have to go in camera on the Tuggs deal?
“These in-camera meetings, there’s more corruption and skullduggery going on in there than I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Tuggs owner George Foulidis did not respond to requests for comment from the Sun.
Sandra Bussin, the local councillor who has defended Tuggs in the past but recused herself from the most recent vote on the contract in June, also declined to comment.
Both were provided with a transcript of Ford’s remarks by e-mail.
Bussin received more than $12,000 from Foulidis and people associated to him in campaign contributions in 2003 and 2006.
City staff had recommended putting the food and drink concession at the eastern Beaches up for public tender after Tuggs’ first contract expired but councillors opted instead to negotiate a sole-sourced deal with the firm.
A belated attempt to reopen the deal at council’s June meeting failed to get the necessary two-thirds support.
“It’s confidential and I wish you guys knew what happened in camera,” Ford said. “I wish I could tell you the stuff that happens behind closed doors.”
He said the Tuggs deal “stinks to high heaven” and if he is elected mayor on Oct. 25 — he told The Sun he’s now leading the race with 35% support, according to his campaign polls — he might try to break the contract.
“You can undo anything that’s been done,” Ford said. “If it’s going to save (money) in the long run, then I’m going to do it. If there’s a short-term cost for a long-term gain, then that’s what’s going to happen.”
Doug Ford, Rob’s brother and campaign manager who is also running for council in Ward 2, said the system at City Hall is broken.
“There’s a culture of corruption down there and we’re going to put an end to it,” Doug said.
“If this was Chicago or anywhere in the States, they’d be in front of a grand jury and they’d be indicted and they’d be in jail right now.”
He said it’s unthinkable that a private business would agree to a 10-year lease, let alone 20-year lease, for such a business. |
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| Dior Homme |
| quote: | Originally posted by Jayx1
ive known about this for 2 years. Which is why ive been going on about condo politics. The raids in the ent district are purely political which is why they rarely make the news.
Step 1: Destroy the current business to make them worthless (you dont have to buy them out) |
What i find most funny is the location. Right in the middle! This is after the club district moved from richmond + duncan to richmond + peter. now stabbing it right in the heart will affect the rest of the community greatly, instead of chipping away at the ends.
i know i know this has been going around for a long time but after the fashion house on king will take over the more westernly side of clubland.... then good night toronto night life. but then again.... it was bound to happen wasnt it? thank god ill be older when that stuff happens.
better start be-friending the owners of wegz or something up north. |
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| Jayx1 |
Its all about the 905 and even 519 suburbs now. Toronto is getting its wish. And soon enough people will get bored of living downtown and move out and thats when the detroitification of downtown will start. It already has in some of the older condo neighbourhoods in scarborough!
Council idiots seem to forget that gentrification can go both ways if not done properly |
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| VDub |
| There aren't any more good clubs in clubland anyway other than TIL and it's tucked away in an alley... |
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| Jayx1 |
| quote: | Originally posted by VDub
There aren't any more good clubs in clubland anyway other than TIL and it's tucked away in an alley... |
good or bad is irrelevant as the city powers dont define between them. And the clubs have gotten crappy thanks to the pressures put on by the city causing a lot of people to already stay away. |
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