Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Another hotel hope

A commenter...Raymond... Recently posted a comment about the Salvation Army building just east if Keele St. On the north side. He wrote about that building being built as a speculative hotel, built on hopes of getting a liquor license. While the history of that building is well known he also mother that the building at Gilmore Ave was also built with the same hope. Interestingly they appear to have their facades bricked of the same brick - would this indicate the same person or business attempted the same goal in both places?

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4 comments:

  1. A.R.September 13, 2011 at 10:54 AM

    Both of them are buildings with a couple of interesting design features but also glaring flaws. In terms of the Dundas and Gilmore building, the 'arches' at street level are decent, but then there's the simple brick wall facade with nothing but some lines of cheap and tiny square windows which is rather uninspiring.

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  2. RaymondSeptember 13, 2011 at 11:32 AM

    No idea if both were built by the same interests however the main reason was the value of that liquor license the "hotel" rooms were just to comply with the law therefore the place was built to minimum level. The Gilmour Avenue building was converted into tiny apartments after failing to get the dry law repealed. It would be interesting to know what they look like inside and the rent for them as well as the occupancy rate. Never hear anything about the place.

    RIP Bill Temple

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  3. JunctioneerSeptember 13, 2011 at 4:44 PM

    Yes RIP in Peace Bill Temple, i really have to look up some detailed info a do a post about keep in dry movement.

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  4. Amy Lavender HarrisSeptember 18, 2011 at 1:14 AM

    I'd have to see some archival/planning department history before I'd believe the apartment building at the corner of Gilmour Avenue and Dundas West was built for anything other than its present use. I have not been inside either, but the presence of a parking garage, the small entrance lobby on Gilmour, the location of stairwells, windows, etc etc. makes it seem highly unlikely that the building had ever been meant for anything else.

    It is true that a movie theatre was one located at this corner, and possibly before that building was torn down a property developer may have harboured hopes of converting that building (or building something new) as a hotel/tavern, but the present building strikes me as a purpose-built apartment building.

    If anyone's got municipal / developer records or drawings indicating otherwise, though, I'd love to see them.

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