Iconic Toronto drag bar safe from becoming high-rise for now after community council rejects plan
A plan by a developer for a mixed-use building at the site of a popular drag bar in Toronto’s gay village has been rejected by the Toronto and East York Community Council after many residents objected to the proposal.
Graywood Developments, a Toronto-based real estate investment management company, is proposing to build a 48-storey mixed-used building at 506 to 516 Church St. The building would contain 574 residential units, about 4,000 square feet of retail and commercial space and a “new community space for queer supportive programming.”
The site is home to the beloved drag bar Crews & Tangos — Crews opened in the mid-to-late 90s and merged with a second bar, Tango, in 2004.
At its meeting last Tuesday, the community council approved a city staff report that said the application “doesn’t conform” to policies on character of the Church and Wellesley neighbourhood.
The community council will ask Toronto city council to reject the application at its February meeting. It will also ask council to ask city staff to appear before the Ontario Land Tribunal if the decision to reject the application is appealed to that administrative body.
Community members at a Nov. 21, 2024 public consultation meeting said the building is too tall and doesn’t fit into the village.
Coun. Chris Moise, who represents Ward 13, Toronto Centre, said he opposes the redevelopment because he doesn’t think the height of the proposed tower is suitable for the area.
“The Church-Wellesley neighborhood is a mid-rise community and it is very unique to the city. It’s the queer village and it’s important to us,” Moise said.
Moise said Graywood Developments had earlier proposed a 14-storey building at the site and those plans were approved by the city in 2022. He said 14 storeys is a more appropriate height for the village’s character but that the developer changed its plans.
“The community is very concerned about the rapid change for the village. They feel that they’re losing their cultural appeal,” Moise said. “This application really goes against all the things that we care about and this is why I’m so passionate about fighting this.”
Moise said the community is also concerned about shadows that the building may cast on the local parks, including Barbara Hall Park.
“We’ve been very clear from the very beginning what our expectations are in regards to what we want the village to be. We want the village to be a cultural hub, which I’m working on. We want it to be a destination.It’s unique to the city and it has a lot of historic value to us. We want to maintain that.”
Updated plans reflect need for density, developer says
Graywood Development, for its part, said in a statement on Monday that it updated its plan because of the need for more density.
“While we already have secured approval for a redevelopment, our new submission proposes greater density than what is currently in place, as a response to the housing crisis and the site’s proximity to rapid transit,” the statement reads.
“Graywood remains committed to the previously secured community benefits — including the retainment, restoration, and commemoration of the building containing Crews and Tangos, as well as our plans for a public art contribution on site,” it continues.
“We understand this site is important for the queer community and queer culture, and we have consistently engaged with the owner of the club, community members, and queer organizations to envision how the redevelopment of the site might contribute to the local fabric.”
In an updated statement later on Monday, the developer said Crews and Tangos will remain open during planning but will have to vacated when construction begins. It also said the bar would have “first right to return” to one of the new commercial spaces when construction is complete.
Andrew Perez, a political activist and nearby resident, said he is encouraged by the community council’s decision. He said Crews & Tangos, which opened its doors more than 30 years ago, is a staple of the community. Several prominent clubs, including Zipperz, The Barn and Fly 2.0, have all closed their doors, Perez said.
“The village has really hollowed out. We do need to bring more business to the village, but I do worry that the nature of this development, 48 storeys, would really impact the fabric of this community in a negative way,” Perez said.
Perez said a new development could bring in higher income people, who might not be members of the queer community, into the area and push lower income queer people who have been there for years out.
“Crews and Tangos is one of the last drag bars in the city. People come here. The venue is open until 2:30 a.m. on weekends.”
Jason Pelletier, the man behind drag queen Jezebel Bardot, said the news that the plan changed to 48 storeys surprised many. He said the village needs a facelift but the tower could change the demographics of the village. There are concerns about its safe spaces.
“Luckily there are some guardrails there that stop that development for now, but we’ll see what other tricks the developers pull to try to erect this giant tower in the heart of our village,” Pelletier said.
“It’s the song that never ends.”
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