Planning committee approves the demolition of historic Gore Park buildings

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It’s taken five years but a run down strip of buildings in Gore park may soon be demolished. At today’s city planning committee, councillors voted 6-3 in favour of tearing down most of the architecture that’s been around longer than Canada has been a country.

A group of about 30 heritage advocates piled into council chambers, many pleading with the committee to vote against the demolition of the of the strip of buildings. But in the end, council voted to demolish 18 to 28 King st.E while retaining the façade of 18 and 22.

The plan is to turn the strip, which has become an eyesore in the park, to five stories of rentals with commercial space on the ground floor. Councillor Jason Farr, who represents Ward 2, wants to see the plan move ahead and says the preservation of the façade is the result of five years of working on a compromise.