An iconic Toronto landmark on the northeast corner of Ossington Avenue and Dupont Street will soon be demolished to make way for a proposed mixed-use rental building.

888 Dupont is a century-old warehouse building that was originally a yarn-spinning factory and later served as a home to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. 

In its later years, the four-storey industrial building became an affordable safe haven for many Toronto artists who both lived in the space and used it to showcase their clothing companies, photography, and talents. 

Back in 2021, dozens of artists were evicted from the low-cost building to make way for the development.

A whole building full of Toronto artists just got evicted to make way for redevelopment https://t.co/E2ZbjQQrEj #Toronto #TorontoRealEstate #RealEstate

— blogTO (@blogTO) October 15, 2021

Although the city does have a policy where residents of rental buildings demolished for redevelopment must be provided replacement units, the spaces at 888 Dupont were never zoned as residential — having been considered commercial use only instead, leaving many artists prone to displacement. 

This was taken in better days (2017). I will miss it when it’s gone. pic.twitter.com/y7u8DwsLcl

— Eric Vellend (@ericvellend) September 12, 2023

The derelict warehouse building is now slated for demolition to make way for a 14-storey mixed-use rental building designed by Suulin Architects for developer TAS. 

I have an inexplicable love for this building.

— LouRead (@LouontheLeft) September 13, 2023

The project includes 155 rental apartments zoned for living and working, with 10 per cent of the units being affordable. The ground floor of the building is set to include a multi-use space for community gatherings, exhibits, and markets. 

Sad to see it go, it was such an incubator of talented people looking for good live/work space, we should build more of this

— @lloydalter@mastodon.social (@lloydalter) September 12, 2023

The developer is also exploring options for creative co-working spaces, a lounge area, small-scale retail stores, and even a cafe. 

Along with landscape architects at gh3*, the project also seeks to bring improvements to the local streetscape, including wider sidewalks and new open spaces along both Dupont and Ossington. 

The 14-storey mixed-use building will provide approximately 15,000 square feet of employment industrial space. Photo: TAS.

The project will also include the preservation and relocation of the well-loved chimney stack to a more prominent location along Ossington Avenue. 

Demolition of 888 Dupont Street has already begun, and is expected to be completed by late fall 2023. TAS will be salvaging materials for recycling and repurposing in the new development, which will provide approximately 138,000 square feet of residential space. 

The mixed-use building now has an estimated completion date of 2026.