Central United Church’s building will sit empty on the Victoria Village campus this summer, but it could make way for more seniors housing, a medical centre or other services and shops that support the growing demographic.
With its final worship service Sunday at 2 p.m., Central United will conclude its ministry of more than 150 years, but its legacy will continue not just with the community organizations it has supported, but its site will continue to serve the community, says Victoria Village chief executive officer Sheri Maynard.
“We purchased the church in December 2015 and gave them free use of the space. We certainly encouraged them to continue with whatever programs they had going. The congregation took a vote and over 90 per cent voted to disband. It’s really sad,” she said.
“Members of our life-lease residences attend there and it’s been a part of their history for a long time.”
The building will remain standing throughout the summer. In September, Victoria Village’s board of directors will consider when to tear down the building that has an array of issues, including a leaky roof.
“We have a master plan for the whole site,” said Maynard, who could not share the plan as yet, as drawings are talks are ongoing with potential partners for what could be constructed on the block of Toronto Street between Ross and Wellington streets.
She could, however, describe the major features of the plan.
“We’re talking about a 12-storey tower on the corner of Toronto and Wellington streets,” she said, a building that’s still in the design process. It could have 130 to 150 units.
“Starting with the 12-storey structure at the top of the hill, it will step down the street to where the church currently sits,” she said.
“We’re having some interesting partnership discussions. We’re discussing a medical building. We’re in the investigative phase.”
Victoria Village was born out of a desire on city council for more long-term care beds. In 1995, then-Mayor Janice Laking and aldermen Rob Warman and the late Sam Cancilla envisioned the long-term care home and more flexible living spaces for older adults on the site of that would be left vacant by the RVH, which was building its new hospital on Georgian Drive.
In 1999, the new hospital opened and the Victoria Village incorporated. In 2003, both the long-term care home and the life lease suites opened.
“Sam Cancilla was a great mentor. He said ‘Make sure you use every bit of space here and re-purpose it’,” Maynard recalled.
“Throughout our visioning process, we looked at the needs of the seniors here now. The folk that moved in 13 years ago in their 70s and 80s are older and need more support. Meals were the most important feature (as some moved into retirement residences).
So today, construction crews are a new semi-independent living community that offers fabulous views of Queen’s Park.
“It’s a brand new model,” said Maynard, who noted the 16 suites will be built in what was a city-owned event space and fitness centre, a facility aimed at those 55 and over, but which ultimately the city couldn’t sustain.
The suites, which went on the market in May but are still under construction, are known as The Cancilla Hybrid Units.
“No two are alike,” said Fred Clark, Victoria Village’s operations director, who is promoting the units with the tagline “Invest in Yourself”.
The units are purchased, just as the life lease units are, and residents buy three meals a day for $40/day.
“The dining room will have beautiful floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the park and you can dine outside or inside,”
Although the suites will not have kitchens, they will have a refreshment preparation area to make coffee, tea and toast.
The suites are on sale for $181,000 to $320,000. Open houses take place Wednesdays.
“We want to be a village for people, an aging in place, a place where people can hall all the amenities they need,” said Clark.
Already, Victoria Village has a hair salon, a physiotherapist’s office, an acupuncturist and a pharmacy. There’s also Wentworth’s Eatery and Café, which offers crepes, steak and mushroom pie, quiche, soups and sandwiches. It’s on the Ross Street frontage across from Queen’s Park.
The possibilities for the stretch of Toronto will only add to what’s already there, with street-level services and shops.
“It’ll cascade down from Wellington to Ross, with a combination of things,” said Maynard, with even the possibility of townhouses as an additional residential option.
“This will be the block to live in if you’re 55+,” said Maynard.
