The Forgotten Landmark

January 26, 2025

Author

Insider Toronto
January 26, 2025

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK
The Forgotten Landmark: Old Toronto Star Building

Old Toronto Star Building at 80 King Street West

This iconic structure was the home of the Toronto Star from 1929 until its demolition in 1972. Designed by Chapman and Oxley, the building was a remarkable example of Art Deco architecture. Standing at 22 stories high, it was briefly one of the tallest buildings in Toronto and a symbol of the city’s growing prominence in the early 20th century.

By the 1960s, Toronto was undergoing significant urban renewal, with older buildings being replaced by modern high-rises. Despite its historic and architectural significance, the Old Toronto Star Building was demolished in 1972 to make way for the construction of First Canadian Place.

Here are two other buildings that once stood on the site of today’s First Canadian Place and Exchange Tower:

The Mail Building | The podium of First Canadian Place stands on the original site.

The William H. Wright Building was a six-storey office building located at 140 King St West. In 1974 it was demolished to make way for the Exchange Tower.

ANNOUNCING A NEW SECTION: MUST READS
Placemakers: Emperors, Kings, Entrepreneurs - A Brief History of Real Estate Development

Have you ever wondered how cities are really built? Who decides where the power flows, where the money grows, and where people flock?

In Placemakers, you’ll discover the secrets of history’s greatest builders—emperors, kings, and modern-day moguls—who shaped the world one plot of land at a time. From Babylon’s Hanging Gardens to the rise of Manhattan, this book dives into the bold moves and big risks that turned dirt into dynasties. There is even some Canadian content!

Once you start reading, you won’t stop. You’ll never look at cities—or opportunity—the same way again.

My personal copy of Placemakers.

RARE TORONTO FACTS
Three Unknown Facts

  1. Cabbagetown is home to the largest collection of Victorian homes in North America

  2. The demolition of the Old Toronto Star Building (above) is the second tallest voluntary demolition in Canadian history.

  3. South St. Lawrence Market was Toronto’s first city hall from 1845 to 1899

VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Toronto C. 1856: Some of the oldest known pictures of Toronto

The photos were taken from the roof of the Rossin House Hotel at the southeast corner of King and York Streets. 13 photos made what is one of the oldest complete panoramas of the city. Really cool to see!

Here is the link:
Click here to watch