[AlbertC]

Update from TheTorontoBlog: http://thetorontoblog.com/2012/02/13/winter-photo-walks-baycollege-area-part-3/

Interesting tidbit of random information from the article:

Link to list of dirtiest hotels

It’s 650 Bay Street, whose former occupant, the Bay Street Motel, gained notoriety after placing 2nd on TripAdvisor.com’s 2010 listing of the 10 Dirtiest Hotels in Canada. (The hotel closed its doors in late 2009, shortly before the infamous list was published.)

Nice to hear that they've already found tenants. More retail is always welcomed on this lame stretch of Bay Street.

Mr. Saeed told me this week that one of the ground-floor retail tenants, a cafe called Sliced, is expected to open sometime in the next month. The lobby for the boutique hotel should be completed by then, too, he said. Space on the south side of the ground floor has been leased out and is currently being renovated for the client, a project that Mr. Saeed said will take several months.

 

[drum118]

Feb 21

 

[whatever]

I can't say that I'd ever been inside the old hotel, but that looks a million times nicer than what I ever would've expected for that corner. They might actually do ok there, with some business from SickKids

 

[Miscreant]

A guy I knew in graduate school came over from New Zealand with only a few bags--hadn't even looked for a place to live--and ended up at that hotel for three nights when apartment hunting. Said without kidding that by the end of it he was scared and more than ready to leave. I wasn't surprised.

 

[neubilder]

A guy I knew in graduate school came over from New Zealand with only a few bags--hadn't even looked for a place to live--and ended up at that hotel for three nights when apartment hunting. Said without kidding that by the end of it he was scared and more than ready to leave. I wasn't surprised.

You don't say?

 

[Miscreant]

I just did.

 

[gristle]

A guy I knew in graduate school came over from New Zealand with only a few bags--hadn't even looked for a place to live--and ended up at that hotel for three nights when apartment hunting. Said without kidding that by the end of it he was scared and more than ready to leave. I wasn't surprised.

For years, one of the corner windows had a thick blanket of mould growing on it. You couldn't miss it from the outside, but I guess the cleaning staff had more pressing matters elsewhere.

 

[Miscreant]

Yeah, I thought the place was just dirty and a bit sketchy. I wouldn't have thought it was dangerous, where one's actually reasonably worried about one's safety. That's unusual.

 

[ThomasJ]

Feb 21

what is this? no exterior photos?

 

[drum118]

what is this? no exterior photos?

They are up on the site and too dark to shoot when I shot those photos and under 650 Bay St. Not much has change on the exterior the last month or two worth shooting these days. You will see a few under sick kids photos.

 

[Grainger]

I apologize if this has already been addressed however I can't seem to find it mentioned any where.
Can any one tell me how old this building is and if it was originally constructed as a Hotel.

Thank You

 

[Bogtrotter]

I don't particularly like what they did with the outside, I was hoping they would maintain or restore the brick. But the interior looks pretty good to me and I really like the look of those gourmet sammy's.

 

[Bayer]

They have been painting the brick wall facing the parking lot. It looks like it will be the same as the façade.

 

[Addy]

I apologize if this has already been addressed however I can't seem to find it mentioned any where.
Can any one tell me how old this building is and if it was originally constructed as a Hotel.

Thank You

From the history that I've been able to find, it was built as a tavern for travelers heading out of town and was always used as a watering hole. I don't know when it was changed over to a hotel...

 

[Grainger]

Thank You for your responses.
It looks good now and I am glad to see some buildings getting saved.
The building design looks cut off to me as if it maybe extended further west along Elm Street at one time.

I actualy spent a night in this Hotel.
I believe it would have been 1984 or 1985.
I can't remember what it was called at the time but I had to pay for my room before I could enter the building.
There was a window like you would get in a ticket booth facing Bay Street and I paid the clerk through the window he then slipped me my key and buzzed me in.