Leaside town hall for sale for $4,430,000

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As many in the neighborhood will have noticed, the former Town of Leaside building at 235 McRae Drive (at Randolph Rd) is up for sale. It’s designated a commercial condo and does not include the attached fire department, Hall 321. The listed price for this attractive building is $4,430,000 and the seller, 235 McRae Developments, says the property, which has heritage status, may be suitable for “potential residential medium density development”. Done right, it would be an interesting play for this part of Leaside. A historical note, the front door of the building is flanked by the original Town of Leaside (1913-1967) coat of arms which translates from the Latin (Itineris Stabilits Sanitas) to something like A Journey of Stability and Wisdom.  Scholars will correct us no doubt.   

New power tunnel under Moore Park, Rosedale

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Work will begin on the Midtown Power Corridor Tunnel in September. It will snake its way under Moore Park and Rosedale from Bayview Ave over to Yonge Street. The tunnel will be part of a critical link in the way Toronto is able to get electricity. An overland portion of the corridor runs from the Leaside Transformer Station on Millwood Road to the Bayview Extension. The tunnel will connect up with an older part of the corridor which stretches to the transformer station near Casa Loma.  A specialized 120 tonne boring machine will start tunnelling to make room for six high voltage cables that will carry an additional 100 megawatts of power, enough electricity to power 25,000 homes. The project will create 30 jobs and will help make Ontario’s current energy infrastructure more efficient. Construction is scheduled for completion by the end of 2014. Pictures show ribbon cutting yesterday. L to r. Peter Gregg, executive VP of Hydro One, Chris Bentley, energy minister and Anthony Hains, president of Hydro One. Previous post.

Odd car-jacking attempt at Bayview/Sheppard

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Toronto  Police Service report: A 49 year old female reports that on August 29, 2012 at approximately 1905 hours she had just exited her vehicle in an underground parking garage in the area of Bayview Avenue and Sheppard Avenue East when a male suspect and a female suspect in a vehicle stopped in front of her. The male suspect exited the vehicle and pointed a black handgun at the victim and ordered her to drop her keys. The victim complied. The female suspect in the vehicle fled the scene while the male suspect attempted to start the victim’s vehicle. The suspect demanded the victim to start the vehicle. It was at that time the victim was able to make good her escape. The male suspect fled the scene on foot with the victim’s keys in an unknown direction

Rumah Tangga to close on lease expiry

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The home accessories and design business known as Rumah Tangga on Fleming Crescent will close soon on expiry of the lease. This is the small premises that sits at the rear  of the corner store on the southeast corner of Bayview and Fleming. The owner, Roland Tan, says he will concentrate on serving his clientele, many of whom he found through his present shop.  Mr. Tan has been an energetic and positive influence on South Bayview and his departure will be a loss. 

Big red “S” eats the orange lion for $3.13 billion

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The small bank that for some time has been urging people to “Save Your Money” and avoid the big banking guys, has been purchased by one of the biggest.  Bank of Nova Scotia will assume ownership of ING (Internationale Nederlanden Groep) for $3.13 billion. Scotia officials did a little crowing today by pointing iut that the bank  had identified a niche that’s growing. They noted ING had become the country’s eight largest bank in 15 years. First blush analysis suggests ING will be re-branded but will continue to offer saving rates that are higher than the big banks, including its parent. 

Glebe Presbyterian set for re-development

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Glebe Presbyterian Church at the pleasant corner of Thurloe Avenue and DeSavery Crescent seems set for re-development after a summer on the real estate market. Asking price for the 1913 church was $2.85 million.  Church officials have said they hope the buyer will “respect the legacy of the church” although just what that might mean seems an open question. Important to the neighborhood’s history as it is, Glebe Presbyterian is not architecturally outstanding. The 13,000 square-foot property is officially 124 Belsize Drive even though the building does not face that street. The church has had declining attendance and plans to join Leaside Presbyterian at Eglinton Ave. E and Hanna Road. 

Mayor’s removal not justifiable: Globe and Mail

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The Globe and Mail editorial. in which the paper argues that Toronto’s rather willful and careless mayor nonetheless does not deserve to be removed from office for the so-called conflict of interest matter that will be heard next month. In addition to the arguments made by the Globe, we would repeat the salient point that this matter, unlike any other such complaint, has proceeded in absolute public and with total transparency. The Mayor has shown no intent to deceive or surreptitiously get away with anything. It would be yet another reason, as the Globe and Mail says, not to offend democracy by removing a public official for this small matter. We believe the mayor was wrong to act as he did.  Others may think he should be voted out at the next election.  But regardless of whether Mr.Ford is defeated, either outcome will be the true one because it will have been made by the people, not by a judge.