The Dineen Building

It's May 2013, and once again I attended a Doors Open event, here in Toronto.

Since I am coaching a slo-pitch softball team most Saturdays, there was only time for a Sunday visit. Therefore, I chose the Dineen Building on the north west corner of Yonge and Temperance Streets.

 

Photo Courtesy the City of Toronto Archives

I actually posted this photo before, under the label "Toronto Then and Now".
(I'm thinking of changing to label to "Intersections of Note", instead).
In this photo (above) you can see some of the building (on the right-hand side).

The picture below, shows how it looked before it was purchased and restored.

 

It was pretty dingy looking, with an optical company on the ground floor, and rented office spaces above.

Built in 1897, it originally housed the offices, workshops and showrooms of the Dineen Hat and Fur Company, and was placed on the City of Toronto's Inventory of Heritage Properties, in 1973.

It is valued as a rare, surviving example of late 19th century Renaissance Revival architecture.

In 2012, after many years of neglect, this old building underwent a complete retrofit and modernization of both the exterior and interior spaces.

All systems and infrastructure were removed and re-engineered with special attention to its historical nature.

While all this was happening (under wraps) the workers were uncovering a few artifacts that were hiding behind the drywall. 

They found hand-painted directories in the lobby and a wall safe on the 5th floor.

 We were guided around the office spaces by volunteers who actually work in the building, now.

It certainly looks a lot better, from the outside than before:

 The attention to detail both inside and out can be easily seen when you look up at the roofline.