Historic Addison on Bay building reconstruction partially revealed at Burano condo site

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Addison on Bay at Burano Condos

Part of the reconstructed Addison on Bay building was revealed this week when protective wrapping was removed from the facade on Grenville St.


Addison on Bay Burano Condos

This is how the building looked in September 2008 when it was being dismantled to make way for construction of the Burano condo complex


Addison on Bay Burano Condos

This artistic rendering from the Burano Condos website suggests how the reconstructed building will appear as part of the new condo complex



Addison’s back on Bay! The Addison on Bay Cadillac dealership closed four years ago, and the historic Addison building itself completely disappeared from the landscape during late 2008 and early 2009. But the building is right back where it had operated as a car dealership since 1925 — only now it’s going to have an entirely new life and function as part of the Burano luxury condo complex currently under construction.

The Addison showroom at 832 Bay Street was designated a historical property by the City in 1999. The dealership continued in business for another eight years after that, but finally shuttered its doors in the middle of March 2007. Despite its prominent, lengthy history downtown, the dealership was forced to close the Bay Street business because of “economic factors, including the increasing cost of maintaining a central downtown location,” dealership president Clarke Addison explained in a letter to customers. (Further details about the Addison site and the demise of the downtown dealership were reported in a Toronto Star story published on March 2, 2007.)

Though the downtown location ceased operations, the Addison car business continued — in Mississauga where, as Addison Chevrolet, it’s that city’s “youngest General Motors dealership.”

But the Bay Street property wouldn’t sit idle for long.

Addison had been operating not just the historically-designated showroom and a repair garage  on the west side of Bay, between Grosvenor and Grenville Streets, but also a new and used car display lot on the east side of the street, also between Grosvenor and Grenville.

Lanterra Developments ultimately acquired the properties on both sides of Bay, and built the two-tower Murano condo complex on the east side. Since the summer of 2008, it has been building Burano on the west property. During the fall and winter of that year, the Addison showroom was dismantled so the site could be excavated for the condo tower. Once the foundation for the new complex had been built, reconstruction of the Addison building commenced.

Protective sheeting has blocked the facade from public view for the past three months, but a section of wrapping was removed from the Grenville Street wall of the structure late last week.

Below are some pics I took while the Addison building was being dismantled and then re-assembled. There’s also some pics of the newly revealed Addison facade on Grenville Street, along with other recent photos showing construction progress on the Burano condo tower. An album of Burano pics from the beginning of construction to this month can be viewed on the Photo Sets page of the blog.

 

Addison on Bay Burano Condos

October 13 2008: The Addison on Bay building gradually being dismantled


Addison on Bay Burano Condos

November 22 2009: Foundation work begins in the Burano condo excavation


Addison on Bay Burano Condos

May 2 2010: Addison building takes shape during reconstruction


Addison on Bay Burano Condos

May 2 2010: Another view of the Addison building reconstruction progress


Addison on Bay Burano Condos

July 26 2010: Grenville St. view of frame for new Addison building


Addison on Bay Burano Condos

November 9 2010: Rebuilding progress before the structure went under wraps


Addison on Bay Burano Condos

December 21 2010:  Frame of building partly visible  under wraps


Burano condos

February 9 2011: Murano tower, crane seen from College St. at University Ave.


Burano Condos

February 9 2011: Burano viewed from Grosvenor Street near Surrey Place


Burano Condos

February 20 2011: Burano construction progress viewed from College Street


Burano condos

February 20 2011: Burano viewed from southeast corner of Bay and Grenville


Burano Condos

February 20 2011: The unwrapped Grenville Street facade viewed from Bay Street


Burano condos

February 20 2011: Reconstructed Grenville Street facade is exposed


Addison on Bay Burano Condos

Another view of the reconstructed Addison facade on Grenville



2 thoughts on “Historic Addison on Bay building reconstruction partially revealed at Burano condo site

  1. Pingback: Burano Condos nears completion on Bay Street | www.TheTorontoBlog.com

  2. Pingback: Vintage Toronto Ads: Cadillac Snowbird – Jamie Bradburn's Tales of Toronto

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