A building dating back over a century just north of Sankofa (formerly Yonge-Dundas) Square will soon be torn down, according to documents filed with the City on Thursday.

The City is finalizing a bidding process for the upcoming demolition of 38-40 Dundas Street East, a three-storey commercial building with a rich history that has sat vacant for over a decade at the northeast corner of Dundas and Victoria.

The property is one of two buildings sold by the City to Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) in 2023, along with the adjacent Toronto Public Health building at 277 Victoria Street, topped by the iconic Sam the Record Man sign.

Following the announcement of the acquisition in June 2023, a TMU representative confirmed to blogTO that "the sign will continue to shine its neon light atop the building," adding that "there are no plans to remove it."

While 277 Victoria is safe from the wrecking ball, the building at 38 Dundas East appears to be destined for redevelopment by the institution.

The City-owned property was, ironically, slapped with an order to remedy unsafe building by... the City in February 2023, and a demolition permit was issued last August, sealing the building's fate.

Despite its history tracing back at least 113 years, the building at 38 Dundas East — formerly home to a Hakim Optical location — lacks heritage protections, and, in its current condition, seems to have been deemed unsalvageable.

I used to buy my long tees at a store in this building in the early 2000s 🤣

— KAI BEE 🇯🇲🇨🇦 (@kaibee_music) March 18, 2023

The latest documents from the demolition tendering process state that the teardown of the building is expected to commence on date a contracted is awarded following a meeting of the Bid Award Panel on January 10.

Demolition is projected to be complete by May 30.

TMU has not yet shared public plans for the site of the building, though it has signalled that it could be redeveloped into a new gateway for the campus at the doorstep of the vibrant public square.

In 2023, TMU called the site "well placed for the development of an enhanced and welcoming campus entrance just steps from Yonge-Dundas Square."

It could take some time for this plan to materialize, as TMU has stated that the acquisition of the two buildings "will help to support the long-term growth of the university."