Full speed ahead for restoration work on Broadview Hotel

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When last spring's announcement that local eyesore Jilly's strip club would be finally having its last dance before giving way to new ownership and new life for the 100-plus-year-old Broadview Hotel, the buzz that spread around the neighbourhood was palatable.

Streetcar Developments bought the deteriorating building, originally constructed in 1891, and hashed out plans to restore the property to its original red-brick state.

Ostensibly, the building's insides were gutted over the course of the winter, but it's anyone's guess as to the progress that was made or its status at this time. However, the arrival of a heavy amount of scaffolding set up outside the bulding means it won't be much longer before the filth is gone and the corner of Queen St. E and Broadview is forever changed.

Exterior preservation has gotten underway on the structure's façade, removing signage and sleaze of another era (Exotic Dacing! The Best Party In Town!) and returning architectural elements to their original state.

Once the overhaul is complete, the look of the red-brick building is also expected to be retrofitted with glass and metal in the lower northern end. On the inside, the dance floor and brass poles will be replaced with a restaurant, rooftop bar and boutique hotel with 57 rooms.