Live music venue coming to Toronto's east end

Photo: Wikipedia CC

The city's live music scene has had a difficult few years with the shuttering of several key venues. But it looks as though a new venue is coming to Queen St. E in Toronto's east end. 

A proposal to turn part of the off-track betting location at Queen and Kingston Rd. into a concert venue has been approved by the city and has cleared the requisite rezoning applications.

Entertainment kingpin Live Nation has plans to operate the 2,700-person-capacity venue, which is on the Queen streetcar line and across from Woodbine Park.

The original proposal for the venue, which we reported on in July 2016, included plans for 150 shows per year, which means some big acts could make their way to this end of town, especially with the slated closing of Massey Hall for renovations. 

An earlier application called for interior alterations to renovate about two thirds of the existing teletheatre for the purpose of a theatre for live performances, including a new partial second floor addition of about 407 square metres.

What's not to like here? A live music venue would provide additional cultural space within the neighbourhood, and serve to galvanize this stretch of Queen as an entertainment zone with Woodbine Park and the cinemas nearby. The location has good access to public transit, being on the Queen streetcar line, and is already substantially separated from nearby residential areas.

Plus, there won't be a gaggle of crusty, curmudgeons smoking butts on the sidewalk in front of the building at all hours of the day and night. 

Sounds like a win to us.