39 Commissioner Street facts for kids
The building at 39 Commissioner Street in Toronto is a historic former firehall. It was built in 1928 by the Toronto Harbour Commission. The main goal was to help bring new businesses and factories to the Toronto Portlands, which was a newly developed area at the time. This firehall became Station 30 for Toronto's Fire Services.
Later, the building was sold to the Toronto Firefighter's Association. They eventually moved out and sold the building again in 2015. This old firehall is now recognized as an important heritage building by the city of Toronto.
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The Portlands: A Changing Area
By the 2010s, many of the factories and businesses had left the Portlands. This area became known as one of the biggest undeveloped spaces in downtown North America. A big plan was created to change the northwest part of the Portlands. The idea was to build new offices and homes on a brand-new artificial island.
Villiers Island: A New Beginning
This new island is called Villiers Island. It is being built up higher with new land, about 2 meters (6.6 feet) taller than before. This is to protect it from very rare, large floods that might happen only once every 100 or 1,000 years.
However, special care is being taken to save important historical buildings like the old firehall. The plan is to move the firehall about 23.7 meters (77.8 feet) south. It will also be lifted up by 1.7 meters (5.6 feet) to match the new, higher ground level of the island.
Design and Future Plans
The firehall was designed by an architect named J.J. Woolnough. He designed it in a style called Edwardian Classicism. This style was popular during the Edwardian era, which was the early 1900s.
In 2016, a writer named Derek Flack from Blog TO wrote that the building was one of the "coolest" places available to rent in Toronto.
What's Next for the Firehall?
In 2019, a company that walked dogs was renting the building. The city of Toronto was talking with both the tenant and the owner to buy the building. However, there were some delays in buying it. Because these delays might slow down the whole redevelopment of the area, the city's acting director of real estate services suggested that the city might need to buy the building through a special process. This process is used when land is needed for public projects.
After the Portlands area is redeveloped, the city plans to use the old firehall for public washrooms. This will help serve the people who live and visit the new Villiers Island.
