One of Toronto’s architectural jewels is about to go quiet for the first time in more than five decades.
Old City Hall, a sprawling Victorian-era building on Queen Street W. at Bay Street, loses its only tenant — the Ontario government, which has used the building as a courthouse since 1972 — on April 1. Now, city staff are about to embark, once again, on an effort to find a new use for the national historic site.
A wedding chapel, shops, office space, a library branch, and restaurants have all been suggested as options for the 177,000-square-foot space over the past nine years.
But Coun, Josh Matlow says he knows what Old City Hall’s prime use should be: a museum of Toronto.
“There are people who are emotionally invested in the many stories of Toronto,” Matlow told CBC Toronto. “And there are people who want to be not just emotionally invested, but financially invested in that story as well.”
At last week’s meeting of the mayor’s executive committee, councillors approved an amendment proposed by Matlow that would see staff consider not just the museum option, but also how to pay for it.
The amendment was tacked on to a motion calling for a broad look into possible uses for Old City Hall. Staff are expected to deliver that report by mid-2026.
It’ll be the fourth time in nine years that city staff have tried to nail down some possible uses for the building.
In 2016 the city looked to the public to help narrow down the choices. A survey that year found “there is broad support for a Museum of Toronto,” according to the report, which accompanied last week’s motion at executive committee.
This latest study will also include public consultations, according to the report.
A 2018 analysis recommended “a mix of food service, leisure, event, and civic uses, and secondary office uses,” including potentially a museum, a wedding chapel and a Toronto Public Library branch.
City staff want building ‘alive and energized’
This time around, staff will try to determine whether those possibilities are still realistic uses for Old City Hall.
“The idea is to get the building alive and energized again and make it open to the public,” said Scott Barrett, director of property management for the city. “There’s some natural curiosity about this place.”
One of the stumbling blocks in the search for a new tenant has been the cost, Barrett said. It would take about $225 million, in 2020 dollars, to bring the 126-year-old structure up to modern standards.
Shortly after the 2018 study staff launched a search for tenants, and while some were identified, none of the proponents could come up with the cash to make their plans work.
A 2021 study that looked at the feasibility of phasing in the goals of the 2018 report suggested bringing smaller businesses on board gradually, in areas of the building that could be retrofitted at the cheapest cost. Those improvements were never made though, last week’s report notes.
Report highlights glaring limitations for tenants
In late 2022, an unidentified company looking for some temporary space began eyeing the building. The city submitted a proposal to the group, but so far hasn’t gotten a call back.
Barrett said the city has earmarked about $16 million this year for maintaining the historic site and doing some short-term upgrades.
The staff report acknowledges the building has some glaring limitations for prospective tenants — like its labyrinthine layout, for instance.
“The building has an inefficient floor plan, due to the grand nature of the interior public spaces,” the report states. “Of the 430,000 square feet of gross floor area, 177,000 square feet is rentable area.”
That grandeur is also part of the building’s appeal, notes Michael McClelland, a principal with ERA Architects who specializes in heritage buildings.
He points to a pair of gryphons that flank the grand main staircase opposite the front doors. The statues were sold off years ago, until a city solicitor noticed them at a local flea market.
He bought them, and today they sit back in their old spot, protected by plexiglass cases. “There’s all kinds of stuff like this about this building — missing pieces, things that need more attention, more care,” McClelland said.
The report also points out that the pandemic has created ongoing challenges.
“Since 2020, the retail and office leasing environment has changed dramatically due to COVID-19 and the proliferation of hybrid work,” the report points out. It recommends an updated look at market conditions city-wide, before a new use for the building is finalized.
“We have to build a new vision for this building based on that,” Barrett said.
Ultimately, any new use will need to respect the historic nature of the building, satisfy the public’s curiosity about Old City Hall by making it more accessible than it is now, contribute to the city’s economy and — hopefully — be able to generate enough money to sustain itself, Barrett says.
In the meantime, staff are hoping to find some “light touch” short-term tenants, Barrett says. That includes options like food and beverage pop-ups, event rentals, and cultural events like music or art shows.