Junction Triangle

An article on playback.ca gives some detail about what Castlepoint has planned for the vacant Tower Automotive property on Sterling Rd.:

Castlepoint going ahead with downtown Toronto studio development
February 10, 2011 by Etan Vlessing

But Alfredo Romano, a principal at Castlepoint, told Playback Daily that he will shortly submit a commercial development application to Toronto City Hall for a ‘mix-used’ studio on Sterling Road in Toronto, on the derelict site of the former Tower Motors factory.

Now Romano’s plan is to develop the Sterling Road site as a commercial studio that will rent out space to low-budget film, new media and music producers, among others.

The original plans for the redevelopment included a mix of around 140,000 square feet of existing building space that requires refurbishing, including a 10-storey building originally built in 1919, and another 100,000 square feet of quality studio space.

Read the complete article here.

Demolition of the Tower Automotive chimney stack on Sterling Road.

Photo by Vic Gedris, September 22, 2010.

Your neighbourhood is changing!

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The Tower Automotive buildings have been demolished. Townhouses and apartments have been constructed. More new development is imminent. Your neighbourhood is changing quickly. And there is no real plan in place.

Tower Automotive Chimney

Philip from the South Perth and Sterling Rd. Residents Association just informed me that the Tower Automotive chimney stack at the corner of Perth Ave. and Sterling Rd. will be coming down tomorrow, Wednesday September 22. The exact time hasn't been determined yet, but it will probably be at around 10:00am.

This is your last chance to check it out. Besides the actual tower, this is the last major piece of the Tower Automotive site still standing. Not sure if I will be able to witness this myself, so I hope that many people can bring cameras to record photos and video of the chimney's final demise.

The demolition of the chimney stack tops off the other major changes we've seen along Perth Ave. and Sterling Road this summer: The demolition of the Toronto Hydro building, and the demolition of Tower Automotive's low-rise buildings and facades.

It's sad to see some of these changes, especially since many people considered these buildings to be beautiful and of industrial heritage value, but the good thing is that it now makes remediation of the contaminated soil possible. And hopefully some great re-developments too.

The Tower Automotive chimney stack, at Perth and Sterling. All low-rise buildings have been demolished, and the chimney will be knocked down shortly.

Photo taken from the West Toronto Railpath by Vic Gedris, 2010-09-12.

Ontario Redi-Mix: As seen from Erwin Krickhahn Park.

The Ontario Redi-Mix plant at 57 Wade Ave. has closed down. I don't know the exact date of the plant's closure, but it has now been inactive for several weeks.

Ontario Redi-Mix is the concrete manufacturing and distribution factory that is visible over the railway tracks at Erwin Krickhahn Park. What seemed like a constant parade of cement trucks around the Bloor-Lansdowne area is a direct result of this plant. I know that there were many complaints about Ontario Redi-Mix from residents in the Lansdowne / Wade / Jenet / Paton area stemming from the truck traffic, noise, dust, dirty streets, idling trucks, cracked sidewalks, and much more. I bet the residents of that area are happy to see this place closed down.

Perhaps it will make life better for Junction Triangle residents on Rankin Cres., and users of Erwin Krickhahn Park too? I'm not sure, as I can't say I've ever been bothered by this facility while in the park, but maybe people who live close-by had different experiences (please post if you have!).

The vacant Ontario Redi-Mix plant on Wade Ave., as seen from Erwin Krickhahn Park.

Photo by Vic Gedris, 2010-08-10.

The vacant Ontario Redi-Mix plant on Wade Ave.

Photo by Vic Gedris, 2010-08-01.

Sterling Rd.: Toronto Hydro Building #200: Photo by Vic Gedris, 2007-12-01.

I noticed this week that the old Toronto Hydro Electric System building no. 200 on Sterling Rd. has been demolished. I haven't heard any explanation of why they tore it down, or what the future plans for the site are. I don't even know the history of the building, its construction date, or what it was actually used for. I'd love to hear any details, if you have them.

However, I do think it was a beautiful old structure that helped give this short east-west stretch of Sterling Rd. its character. With the wonderful windows of Tower Automotive's facade on Sterling, the Tower Automotive chimney, Moloney Electric, and the Hydro building, this was such a well-preserved "canyon" of industry in our neighbourhood. I'm all for progress, but I hope this section of street retains its look and feel.

With the Moloney Electric building up for lease, the Tower Automotive lands up for redevelopment, and lots of new residential development in the area, Sterling Road will continue to evolve into a very different place.

Toronto Hydro Electric System, building no. 200 on Sterling Rd.

Photo by Vic Gedris, 2007-12-01.