Here's a "then, now, and later" post.
Ramako posted an interesting link to ERA's blog about the plan to install a concrete-and-fiberglass replica of the facade of the old Holts building at Yonge and Temperance. It will look like this (concrete copy on left, "original" facade on right):
ERA says "The solution is a “ghost wall,” fabricated from castings of the existing heritage façades, that gestures toward the lost historical architecture of the Elgin Block." But this is all rather bogus. They are in fact replicating a much more modern building, which never had more than 5 bays. They are not replacing bays lost from the building as they are implying.
If I have this right, the 1850s building (was it in fact the Elgin Block? I thought that was further north) was partly demolished and its facade replaced in 1901. That facade was in turn demolished and replaced by the current version dating (according to McHugh) to 1911. So this will be a rather adulterated facade, but the same thing has been going on with this building for more than 100 years. Here's the record form the city archives:
1901 (1850s facade and new construction visible):
1907 (lost facade of Savoy tea room):
1911 (a few bays of the Savoy a perhaps still visible behind the new building):
