Looking northeast towards the corner of King St W and Strachan Ave, in the King West Village of Toronto.
The 2021 photo shows the former Palace Arms Hotel, which was constructed in stages between 1890 and 1902. This complex of buildings featured a blend of Queen Anne Revival and Richardson Romanesque architectural styles, designed by architect Frederick Henry Herbert. Over the years, the property changed hands multiple times and shifted from a hotel and tavern to a rooming house.
In 2017, it was sold to new owners who planned to incorporate the hotel’s historic façade into a new 14-story mixed-use residential building. However, it was discovered that the masonry was in such poor condition that it could not support the approved conservation plans. As a result, the project has shifted to commemorate the landmark. Reusable materials were salvaged during the building’s demolition to replicate the original façades wherever possible in the new structure.
The 2025 photo shows the empty site where the Palace Arms once stood, with its demolition completed in March.
Then and Now
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register: 950 King St W, 95-97 Strachan Ave & 938-944 King St W
- City of Toronto: Decision Letter: 938, 944, 950 King St W & 95, 95, 99 Strachan Ave, dated Jan 18, 2024
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Aug 22, 1910, pg 7
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Jun 27, 2015, pg M1
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Jun 23, 2018, pg A16
- Toronto Star Newspaper Archives: Feb 27, 2021, 2009, pgs IN1 & IN4
- Photo: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- City of Toronto: Maps
- Toronto City Directory courtesy of Toronto Public Library
