AlbertC

Superstar
Member Bio
Joined
Apr 25, 2007
Messages
22,057
Reaction score
59,361
City:
Toronto


175134
 
Shame about the EIFS hack job that's been covering this building. I'm unable to find a historical photo online showing the original facade directly. Only found this one from the reverse angle (looking northward) and getting a very slight side profile at the end of the block.


175154
 
I wonder if there are any traces of the lavatory still - would they have excavated and removed it all, or does the old floor still sit under the road, the space simply filled in?
 
Shame about the EIFS hack job that's been covering this building.

EIFS-wise, I've seen worse. Far worse. In fact, I'd deem this one of the more respectful EIFS treatments (if that's what it is) out there.

The real hack-job (and it's been that way for decades) is the de-cornicing.
 
The Don Alfonso 1890 restaurant and Rosewater Room at 19 Toronto Street have closed, as a new owner has reportedly purchased the building for future condo development.

I wonder what's going to happen here, as the Consumers' Gas Building should be well designated as heritage.

Also curious if this is being assembled together with 25 Toronto Street that was purchased last year.


An award-winning Italian restaurant in Toronto has permanently closed at their current location, the heritage building where it's housed being developed into condos.

Don Alfonso 1890 has won over half a dozen presitigious national and international awards, and served exquisitely over-the-top tasting menus and innovative cocktails in a breathtaking space.

------
"The heritage building that houses Don Alfonso 1890 is currently owned by a company based in China, who recently purchased the property for a
condo development. Based on these factors, along with the uncertainty of the hospitality industry going forward, Don Alfonso 1890 Toronto will not reopen at this location."

Close to 100 full-time and part-time jobs have been lost as a result. Rosewater Room, an intimate event space situated atop Don Alfonso, has also closed.

1597350013359.png
 
Last edited:
This is an overhead shot capturing both of the buildings referenced above. 25 is the building touching Adelaide, 19 is two buildings to the south (one building in-between)

1597351594170.png


As to heritage protection

17 and 19 Toronto Street are designated

23 and 25 are listed

All fall within a Heritage Conservation District (under appeal)

I was trying to figure out why 23 was listed, it certainly doesn't look special.

At first, I assumed it has been demolished and replaced with what we see today.

But I'm wondering if it was always a 1-storey building.

1597352542174.png


Above from Torontoist

23 is the one storey building here, certainly looking different that today, and appears to align with 25 and share some architectural traits.
 
Last edited:
The Consumers Gas Building is a beautiful heritage building that dates back to before Confederation, though the Toronto Street facade is from 1876. It would be a travesty to demolish the building on account of its history and architecture, even if the facade were preserved.
 
The Consumers Gas Building is a beautiful heritage building that dates back to before Confederation, though the Toronto Street facade is from 1876. It would be a travesty to demolish the building on account of its history and architecture, even if the facade were preserved.

Toronto Street has already been ruined, why not trash what little is left, right?
 
I hope it's a sympathetic addition that fills in the gap between 19 and 25.

Toronto Street has already been ruined, why not trash what little is left, right?
Toronto Street still has a decent amount of 'good architecture' on it to salvage. It's also fairly intimate, and far better than many other commercial streets, IMO.

If I were in charge of planning, the only two things I would do would be to recreate the old post office facade on Adelaide in some form, and to redesign the streetscaping to reduce parking and encourage more street life.

20111125-Toronto-Street-50s-or-60s.jpg


As to heritage protection

17 and 19 Toronto Street are designated

23 and 25 are listed

All fall within a Heritage Conservation District (under appeal)

I was trying to figure out why 23 was listed, it certainly doesn't look special.

At first, I assumed it has been demolished and replaced with what we see today.

But I'm wondering if it was always a 1-storey building.

23 is the one storey building here, certainly looking different that today, and appears to align with 25 and share some architectural traits.

There used to be a three-storey building at 23 named 'Tarbert House'- I wonder if it was demolished down to the first floor and then reclad? This sometimes happens to damaged buildings.

Note that the very similar first-floor stone frieze is flush with the existing building at 25, and is slightly set back from 19- elements that may have carried over into some post-war bow-windowed reconstruction in your image above. Maybe that frieze is the last bit of the building visibly remaining!

f0492_it0200.jpg


f1034_it0851.jpg



f1526_fl0100_it0061.jpg

 
Last edited:

Back
Top