26 September 2006
City of Toronto to Revitalize the Historic John Street Roundhouse: Plan Includes New Railway Museum
Toronto Ontario - Today, Toronto City Council approved an
agreement in principle for the reuse and revitalization of the John Street
Roundhouse that will include a new railway museum.
The John Street Roundhouse is a 32-bay semi-circular structure formerly
used by Canadian Pacific Railway for rail car maintenance purposes and is now
owned by the City. Since 1999, bays one to 11 have been leased to Steam
Whistle Brewery while the other bays have been largely unused. The amendments
to the existing lease will allow Steam Whistle Brewery to expand its brewery
operation and provide additional revenue to the City. The agreement also
includes a head lease for the roundhouse with State Developments, in
partnership with Tenen Developing and Producing, for the restoration and reuse
of the remainder of the building, and includes provisions for a railway museum
and the restoration of the railway turntable.
"The revitalization of the historic John Street Roundhouse is the
realization of a long held goal of the City of Toronto," said Mayor David
Miller. "The proposed agreement will ensure that this national historic site
will endure as a monument to Toronto's industrial past, will continue to
enrich Toronto's architectural fabric and provide a lasting legacy for future
generations."
The adaptive reuse of historic structures is a key component of the City
of Toronto's Culture Plan. The John Street Roundhouse is one of a number of
adaptive reuse projects of the Economic Development, Culture and Tourism
Division. Other initiatives include the historic Wychwood Car Barns and the
Don Valley Brickworks. The John Street Roundhouse and its associated heritage
structures were designated as a National Historic Site in 1990 and under the
Ontario Heritage Act by City Council in 1996.
"Revitalization and meaningful animation of our historic and
architectural treasures ensure Toronto is recognized as one of the world's
cultural centres and a dynamic, livable city," said Rita Davies, Executive
Director of Toronto Culture. Creative uses for historic structures is also
called for in the recently released, Imagine a Toronto... Strategies for a
Creative City, an international comparative study that highlights
opportunities for enhancing the arts and creative industries in Toronto.
The John Street Roundhouse complex was constructed by the Canadian
Pacific Railway in 1929-1931 to service steam passenger locomotives using the nearby Toronto
Union Station. The John Street Roundhouse was a state-of-the-art structure and
the most advanced in Canada as it incorporated new direct-steaming technology.
For almost two decades following its construction, the John Street Roundhouse
was one of the most important and busiest roundhouse complexes servicing steam
passenger locomotives in the national rail system.
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