St. James Parking Garage Commemorative Plaque, 2020.
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Original JPG File | 1800 × 1200 pixels (2.16 MP) 15.2 cm × 10.2 cm @ 300 PPI |
1.8 MB | Restricted |
Screen | 1200 × 800 pixels (0.96 MP) 10.2 cm × 6.8 cm @ 300 PPI |
410 KB | Restricted |
Resource ID
8166
Access
Open
Address
55 Lombard St, Toronto, ON M5C 2R7
Date of Creation
2020
Historical Themes
Architectural Heritage, Residential History, Transportation History
Program Category
Historical Plaques
Time Period
1900-1953, 1954-1998, 1999-today
Caption
St. James Parking Garage Commemorative Plaque, 2020.
Description
The St. James Parking Garage, which opened in 1925, was one of the first multi-level parking garages in Toronto. In the mid-1920s, increased demand for parking led to the construction of several parking garages in Toronto’s downtown core. Montreal-based architectural firm Ross & Macdonald designed the St. James Parking Garage. The building reflects a popular architectural style of the time, a simplified Art Deco. The first building on this site from 1816 to 1829 was the Home District Grammar School, also known as the Blue School. Later, the corner lot housed various factories that made products such as animal feed, flour, and laundry supplies. In 1911, the Canada Pipe & Steel Company, owned by brothers William and Robert Cluff, took over the site. In 1925, William Cluff created the National Realty Company and raised investments to build the St. James Parking Garage that year. The five-storey, 500-vehicle parking garage was designed to be completely fireproof. The ground floor, facing Church and Lombard Streets, included several retail units. When alcohol prohibition was lifted in Ontario in 1927, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) opened its first store in the building. By the 1980s, the building had housed auto companies such as the Toronto Motor Car Company, and was in need of repair. The parking garage was converted into condominiums in 1982. It is the last of the 1920s parking garages still standing in Toronto.
Marker lat / long: 43.651813, -79.374785 (WGS84)