Broadview Hotel lights up Riverside with new look

Photo: Michael Rousseau

Locals will remember it as Jilly's, one of Toronto's last remaining licensed strip clubs, but last night the fabulous Broadview Hotel got undressed and we got a peep at what was underneath.

The completion of the first milestone in the revitalization of the 125-year-old Romanesque Revival-style building was marked with a ceremonial lighting to reveal the restored facade.

“We’ve had our eyes on the building ever since we became active in the area,” said Les Mallins, president of Streetcar Developments, to the crowd gathered to watch the lighting.

Photo: Michael Rousseau

Built in 1891 as Dingman's Hall, the building went through several transformations until it eventually became Jilly's in the 1990s. 

By the time Streetcar purchased the building in 2014, there were major structural issues. 

"We had a crumbling 125-year-old heritage building with a strip club on the first floor that the owner wanted top dollar for — and we couldn’t resist.”

While the exterior and mechanicals of the renovation are now largely complete, the hotel’s interior will not be finished and ready for opening until the spring of 2017.

When it does launch, the boutique hotel will welcome guests with 58 guest rooms, a rooftop terrace and a restaurant, lobby bar and cafe operated by the team behind Enoteca Ascari.

The interior design will also feature some subtle nods to its past as Jilly's. 

Read more about the revitalization effort here.