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Dineen Building

Coordinates: 43°39′04″N 79°22′45″W / 43.65111°N 79.37917°W / 43.65111; -79.37917
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Dineen Building
Map
General information
Architectural styleRenaissance Revival
Address140 Yonge Street
Town or cityToronto
CountryCanada
Coordinates43°39′04″N 79°22′45″W / 43.65111°N 79.37917°W / 43.65111; -79.37917
Completed1897
Renovated2012
Cost$30,000
OwnerCommercial Realty Group
Website
http://commergroup.com/properties/140-yonge/

The Dineen Building is a registered heritage property on Yonge Street, at the corner of Temperance Street, in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[1] The building was built in 1897, and was extensively renovated in 2012.[2]

History

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On November 21, 1973, the City of Toronto listed the property on the City of Toronto Heritage Property Inventory.[3] and designated it as being of cultural heritage value or interest, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act by City of Toronto By-law No.1062-2009,[4] enacted by City Council on November 25, 2009.

The original architect was F. H. Herbert.[5] The building cost $30,000. The building used bronze and aluminum plates on its ceilings—aluminum being used for the first time in Canada. According to the Daily Mail and Empire the building's Sprague automatic elevator was also a remarkable feature.

A Sprague automatic elevator is also a feature not to be found in any store in Canada, this being the first time one has been placed in any building outside of New York State.

A fire triggered by an electrical fault caused significant damage in 1917.[6]

The new owner, Commercial Realty Group, decided to employ the more expensive adaptive reuse method to restoring the building.[1][7]

The storefront on Yonge Street has had its fifteen foot ceilings re-exposed, and houses a boutique style coffee shop called the Dineen Coffee Co. [8] Two restaurants, "The Chase" and "The Chase Fish and Oyster", has opened on the Temperance Street facade.[9][10]

References

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  1. ^ a b Alex Nino Gheciu (2012-06-24). "Rescuing the Dineen: Developer brings back neglected Yonge Street heritage building". National Post. Once an icon of Renaissance Revival style, the withered heritage building at the corner of Yonge and Temperance Streets has seen better days. Now, a local developer vows it will see them once again.
  2. ^ Alex Corey (2012-08-20). "A Breath of Fresh Air for the Historic Dineen Building on Yonge". Urban Toronto. Archived from the original on 2013-04-04. The Dineen Building (located at 140 Yonge Street at the northwest corner with Temperance) was built in 1897 as the office, showroom and workshop for the W. & F. Dineen Company, a prominent hat and fur manufacturer in Toronto. It was designed by architect F. H. Herbert, whose portfolio also includes the Wellesley Street house of Henry Gooderham (demolished), the Palace Hotel at King and Strachan, and a 3-storey addition to Osgoode Hall.
  3. ^ Heritage Property Detail for 142 Yonge St.
  4. ^ "To designate the property at 2 Temperance Street (Dineen Building) as being of cultural heritage value or interest" (PDF). By-law No.1062-2009. City of Toronto. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
  5. ^ "Fine new building for Messrs. Dineen: Contains Features New to Toronto and Canada". Daily Mail and Empire. 1897-10-25. p. 5. Retrieved 2013-03-04.
  6. ^ "Investigating Fire in Dineen Building: Evidence Points to Blaze Having Been Started by Electric Wiring". The Toronto World. 1917-04-05. p. 11. Retrieved 2013-03-04.
  7. ^ Kenneth Kidd (2013-02-22). "Architects turn to 'adaptive reuse' to save heritage buildings: A new and financially viable style of historic preservation called 'adaptive reuse' flaunts the interesting parts of a property's heritage". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2013-03-04.
  8. ^ "Weekly Restaurant Recap: The Chase, Dineen Coffee Co., Cupcakes, La Burrita, BruDa, Sneaky Dee's". Post City. 2013-02-15. Archived from the original on 2013-05-28. Also opening up in the Dineen Building is Dineen Coffee Co., a boutique coffee house. We're told that the place will offer high-end coffee and takeout food. It's expected to open around April of this year.
  9. ^ Michelle Reddick (2013-03-04). "Coming soon to the financial district: The Chase, two new restaurants with Michael Steh in the kitchen". Toronto Life. Archived from the original on 2013-02-23. Michael Steh, who left Reds last summer before its big revamp, is the new executive chef at a pair of new restaurants from Steven Salm, formerly a manager at BLT Prime New York and Maple Leaf Square's e11even. The Chase and The Chase Fish and Oyster are set to open this summer in the Dineen building at Yonge and Temperance, the former serving North American cuisine with French and Italian influences and the latter (you guessed it) devoted to seafood.
  10. ^ Liora Ipsum (2013-02-22). "This Week in Food: La Burrita, TenTen, The Chase, The Pink Grapefruit, The One Restaurant, Broastyy". Blog TO. Archived from the original on 2013-02-25. The Chase is slated to open two restaurant concepts this summer in the Dineen Building at Yonge and Temperance. The maritime-themed first floor will feature fish and oysters while the fifth floor is set to become a high-end Italian chop house.
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Media related to Dineen Building at Wikimedia Commons