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The Club is open to visitors on
Thursdays 7pm to 9pm
and some Saturdays 1pm to 3pm.
Please call in advance for Saturdays.
A New Home
On May 9, 2012 the Club received notice from our landlord at 171 East Liberty Street that our tenancy of 67 years was being terminated as the result of future development plans for the property. Following a negotiated termination date of
April 30, 2013, an intensive search for new premises commenced.
Factors that were important in the choice of a new home were:
cost, term of lease, cost of improvements prior to occupancy, long-term occupancy prospects, municipal occupancy by-laws and zoning, size and shape of space, accessibility for moving large pieces of the existing layout into the space, utility costs, amenities such as washrooms, parking and public transit.
Many of the properties we viewed required tens of thousands of dollars to make them habitable and/or would, with their high ceilings, cost a fortune to heat. With a preference to staying in the central area of Toronto and close to the subway, we looked at several properties in the O’Connor Drive area. Ironically, one of the first we viewed became our new home.
Our new premises at 11 Curity Avenue comprises 3,400 square feet of air-conditioned basement space in a then seven-year old commercial building. The major expenses we encountered were the installation of a drop ceiling,
the resulting adjustments to the sprinkler system and the installation of an electrical service panel. Although the drop ceiling adds much ascetically, it was an expensive necessity from an acoustical standpoint. Additionally, some existing partions were removed and we installed a kitchen to serve as a refreshment bar at our shows and to provide a facility for our members convenience during the many long days that would be required to build the
new layout.
Now in our eleventh year at
11 Curity, our new home has proved to be a wise choice. The Club recently renewed its lease following the completion of the
first ten-year term.
The accompanying photos show the work being carried on at Curity Avenue simultaneously with the demolition of the layout at our previous location.
(Click on the photos to expand.)