Clubs are businesses that can locate anywhere. Just because the current location is being redeveloped, does not mean it can't relocate - or have a new concept take its place in the community. If it is a successful business, have no doubt that it will continue.

I'm tired of hearing about operating for profit businesses treated like untouchable heritage architecture like the real jerk in riverside and countless other examples!

Unless I misunderstood your post, that may have been the worst example to choose. The Reak Jerk is having problems with relocation due to complaints from condo owners.
 
Unless I misunderstood your post, that may have been the worst example to choose. The Reak Jerk is having problems with relocation due to complaints from condo owners.

That whole story just ticks me off but it's not dissimilar to the problem of relocating a night club. They can't just pick up and move "anywhere" as they need the appropriate space, must be soundproofed to an extent, not have opposition from neighbours and pass through City Council for their license. Good luck to Zipperz jumping through all those hoops, it isn't going to happen.
 
Unless I misunderstood your post, that may have been the worst example to choose. The Reak Jerk is having problems with relocation due to complaints from condo owners.

I meant the uproar over the landlord not renewing their lease at the old location at the corner of Queen and Broadview. It may not be the best example considering the trouble they are having now... But if they weren't trying to move into a condo building it would be a non issue.
 
Where was the Real Jerk supposed to move? Why is it such a problem for them to move into retail condo space? Isn't this the kind of business that we ought to try to attract and keep?
 
From all-people ("straight") bars and gay-friendly places to the variety of gay bars and events in West Queen West, Toronto is hardly lacking. You just have to look outside that several-block radius known as the Village.

There are NO gay bars in Queen West. I've gone out there a number of times, for gay events and I feel like I'm in a regular straight bar. I don't enjoy it and I don't feel like I'm in a real gay enviornment. I never run into people I know, so it's never a fun night. (that only happens on Church Street) So, I guess I'll just be out of luck because I'm not going to hang out in straight clubs that are gay 1 day a week. That just doesn't cut it for me. When the lights go out on Church Street, I'll be the last queen there, to turn off those lights.
 
Last edited:
I always felt the same, I never went for the 'gay for a day' scams however I was out at the Drake for an event (got an invitation) and it was very gay, but the event was sort of gay related. I'm out on West Queen West probably more often than anywhere else in the city except my own hood and along with having two gay friends who live there I also see a lot of gay folks walking around, shopping, cycling, with their dogs etc. so by all accounts it seems like a fairly queer friendly place to live, not unlike many areas in the old city. That said, I'll spend my bar money (once a year!) in the Village, I'm not a young thing anymore so I stick to what I know and where I feel safe.
It's a shame to see these two buildings go, especially the old Warner Bros. building, but there are much bigger fights ahead.
 
I don't really know about gay men as much but West Queen West was definitely the place to be for lesbians when I was living in Toronto just over a year ago. Anyway, it seemed that all the lesbians I knew (and many of their friends) decided to move to the area. The Hen House opened on Dundas and the Beaver has been on Queen for a long time (though neither are exclusively gay).
 
Last edited:
I am just waiting to see if Tribute will buy up the parking lot behind those two buildings. I cannot imagine they would proceed with a build unless they could do so.
 
A thoroughly fictional block-render from a few pages back:

churcarl.jpg


I hope the parking lot would be used, though I still believe it is slated to be used for RGI housing. Although I think we need more RGI housing in the city I don't think we need more here. The block is already full of it, as is downtown just east of Yonge.

The town homes' roof line on the north side of the block sets a good precedent for a podium along with MLG. I would hope that at the intersection, any new building could at least reach '30's. (40 shown here). If the architect and developer are enlightened enough to provide tall-ceilinged retail along the ground level (and maybe some spaces for new clubs) all the better.

I think a high-rise would have to be near the Carlton/Church intersection due to shadow concerns on the schoolyard immediately north of the property.
 
Last edited:
Good Lord, let's hope it's not more RGI housing. If it is, then Carlton and Church is going to be the first intersection in the city to experience motorized wheelchair traffic jams.
 
Good Lord, let's hope it's not more RGI housing. If it is, then Carlton and Church is going to be the first intersection in the city to experience motorized wheelchair traffic jams.

Oooo, nasty! I agree though, there's enough RGI around here - and I'm a strong supporter of RGI but it has to be spread out.
Now I'm going to get slammed for this but Canadian National's great fictional block render point tower is too high. If we have to loose those two buildings on Carlton I'd like to see the whole block developed up to Wood Street (which, no matter what it will be eventually) but midrise only, as in no more than about 15 floors. It's in keeping with the heights on the block and at the corner and so as not to shadow the school yard on the north side of Wood St.
 
Looking at and shooting the site Sat night, this site would make a great development project if the parking lots to the north was part of it.

I would support a continues 3 side 15 storey midrise with very little underground parking off Wood St. If you going to build it in blocks, then higher towers. Need a sit back for wider sidewalks.

As for the building to the south, it has to go, but going to cause some problems if the one south of it is not part of a plan. The face looks a mess with the removal of ACT signs, as you can still see the out line for it.
 
I would think that the site would have the tower at the southern end and then have some sort of podium with the amenities in it transitioning to townhomes along Wood Street, where teh garage entrance would also be. I would expect Pride to make a fuss over the loss of the parking lot, since they use it for one of their main music stages during the festival but in the end, it would improve things.

That would be three large towers going up along Church at or near Carleton or Gerrard and a fourth one right behind the Primrose. I do wonder if the infrastructure will be able to accomodate the intensification. Hopefully, they will dig up and fix the roller coaster called Wood Street.

For the one at Wood and Carleton, ground water may also be an issue. I think the same underground stream that caused issues at Radio City during construction runs under Wood and the parking lot, if the subsidance you see on Wood is any indication.
 
I would support a continues 3 side 15 storey midrise with very little underground parking

No offence, but you live in Mississauga. Why are you advocating for less parking when it is a convenience that people are willing to pay for? I'm not implying that I want more parking, but if it's underground, I don't really care. If you choose not to drive, traffic jams won't have any effects on your commute. It's just funny (and ironic) that the people most opposed to parking live in the boonies.

Anyways, this building is in the heart of downtown, and I definitely don't think it should be midrise. I personally hate point towers, so I would love to see the block split up, and built with several larger buildings with minimum podium space. However, I realize that it will most likely be a point tower, and in that case, I'd like to see a minimum 4s podium with at least 1s retail (ideally, 2, with high ceilings) and at least 30s tower. There's no reason why this area should have more height restrictions than Regent Park.
 
I'd like to see a minimum 4s podium with at least 1s retail (ideally, 2, with high ceilings) and at least 30s tower. There's no reason why this area should have more height restrictions than Regent Park.

I agree with you. This address is 500M from Aura (78s) and 500M from Karma (50s). 300M from College subway station.

I also agree that parking is not an issue if they are underground. It is hard to imagine someone living within 3 minutes from a downtown subway station, a Metro, a Loblaws and a Shopper's will drive on a daily basis and add too much traffic anyway.

Toronto is not New York or London. People still NEED their cars more often than we think.
 

Back
Top