Looking northeast towards the corner of Dundas St E and Church St in the Garden District of Toronto.
The 2021 photo shows the corner when it was home to an Esso gas station & Circle K convenience store, which closed in 2022. The 2026 photo shows early stages of construction of a 53-storey, purpose-built rental tower at 241 Church St.
Now mostly hidden by the new development, there are a few buildings to mention. In the left background is the George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). The other buildings in the center background were constructed in phases between 1910 and 1950 for the Robert Simpson Company. In the 1990s, these heritage-designated Simpson buildings were converted into lofts, now known as The Merchandise Building.
Then and Now
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register
- Heritage Toronto: Robert Simpson Co. Warehouse plaque
- Heritage Toronto: Simpsons Mail-Order Warehouse Dalhousie Street Extension plaque
- Ontario Heritage Trust
- Photo: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- City of Toronto: Maps
- Toronto City Directory courtesy of Toronto Public Library
