This wasn’t the long weekend news we were hoping for.
It appears that Sneaky Dee’s could potentially be torn down, along with the rest of the block at 419, 421, 423, 429, and 431 on College Street near Bathurst, in favour of a 13-storey condo development. A proposal was submitted to the city last week, which would see the iconic live music venue and home of Toronto’s most famous nachos replaced with 169 units and 13,000 square metres of “combined residential and non-residential gross floor area.”
It’s the latest in a horrifying trend of efforts to knock down local institutions for more soulless condo buildings. Earlier this year, developers unveiled plans to knock down popular drag bar Crews & Tangos for a similar development.
Late Friday before the long weekend a developer submitted an application that includes the site of iconic Sneaky Dee’s. Details to come. I’ve watched friends bands upstairs and eaten kings crown at brunch for as long as i can remember. We can’t lose institutions like these. https://t.co/mgUV3wbCXe
— Mike Layton (@m_layton) September 6, 2020
Mayor John Tory responded to questions from CBC on Monday, saying “We know the importance of music venues in our city — that’s why we have taken action to help provide property tax relief for these sites to help them remain viable.”
Tory says he’ll continue, along with councillor Mike Layton, to listen to feedback from the community.