Questions raised over future of condo project at Murphy’s Law site at Queen Street East and Kingston Road

By AMARACHI AMADIKE

Although the reasons behind its stalled development are unclear, The Sud Group’s The Beach House condo project at Queen Street East and Kingston Road appears to be on hold.

Since the properties at 1684, 1698, 1700, and 1702 Queen St. E. were demolished in order to give way for the developer’s six-storey mixed-use building in 2021, the site has appeared to be deserted, leaving an “ugly mess of old foundations and stagnant mosquito breeding water”, according to one long-time resident.

Nigel Burnett, who has been a resident in the neighbourhood since 1978, told Beach Metro Community News that the site appears abandoned with easy access for children to potentially play in the harmful environment.

“You don’t need to be an engineer to figure out how to get in,” said Burnett.

Nigel Burnett by a gap in the fence surrounding the property. Photo by Amarachi Amadike.

Scattered behind an easily penetrable fence that runs along Queen Street East and Orchard Park Boulevard are about a dozen unused barrels sitting beside the remnants of what was once the Days Inn Hotel at 1684 Queen St. E.

Just prior to its demolition, the hotel, which had been around for almost 90 years and was known for decades as the Orchard Park Hotel (then the Orchard Park Tavern), was utilized as a YWCA shelter for women experiencing homelessness as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since then, however, the hotel has been demolished and not much other work appears to have been done on the site.

Burnett urges officials to ensure the land doesn’t continue to be wasted considering the city’s struggles with homelessness.

“Let’s do something,” said Burnett. “Or lets (clean it up) and have some homeless people live here. Use this big space. It’s a huge garbage dump.”

Burnett said that he has been in contact with Beaches-East York Councillor Brad Bradford’s office in order to persuade them to apply pressure on the developer regarding the use of the site.

“They’re taking up two feet of the sidewalk,” said Burnett. “Are they paying rent on the sidewalk? If I have a cafe and take up space on the sidewalk, I have to pay a fee. These guys are taking up 100 metres of the sidewalk. That’s (the community’s) sidewalk.”

According to Councillor Bradford’s office, they have been in touch with the developer “within the past few months” and have encouraged them to move ahead with developing the site.

“Unfortunately we’re not aware of why it has been sitting idle, as it had received zoning approval from the city in July 2022,” read an email response from Bradford’s office.

On March 10, 2023, a new architectural plan was submitted to the City of Toronto for The Sud Group’s project at the site.

The plan confirms that there will be 91 units in the development comprising three one-bedroom units; four one-bedroom units with a den; 15 two-bedroom units; 56 two-bedroom units with a den; four three-bedroom units; and nine three-bedroom units with a den.

The developers will also provide 56 car parking spaces as well as bicycle parking spaces.

The site’s historic former Imperial Bank of Canada building (which recently operated as the popular Murphy’s Law tavern at 1702 Queen St. E. on the northwest corner with Kingston Road) was built in 1913 and has been designated as “of historic value” under the Ontario Heritage Act by Toronto Council. The building’s façade will be maintained and it will not be demolished as part of the condo project.

Beach Metro Community News reached out to The Sud Group for an update on development plans for the site, but has not received a response.

An artist’s conception from The Beach House website of what the completed project would look like.