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Originally Posted by Bunk
This is something I've been involved in. Council has set aside $500,000 to save, move and store the building (if necessary). It has also given Administration some more time to figure out what to do with the building. At first, The City put out a Request for expressions of interest in the building to private operators. It got zero response, I think mostly because of the uncertaintly about final location, but also about the condition of the building and how much would be required to put into the building to make it useful. It's only 1500 square feet, so putting a half million into restoration to run a small cafe isn't economical.
The heritage staff at the City is working on other possibilities. It may be that the City would have to put in the money to restore it before any other operator would take it on. We'll see in the next two months or so what the next steps are. This is a building the Mayor cares a lot about, and probably would not have been saved at all if it weren't for his effort.
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Thanks for the information. I am hoping that a suitable use can be found for the building, but I also understand that funds aren't unlimited.
Along the same lines, has any thought been given to allowing small kiosks at LRT stations (like they used to have)? A place to buy small convenience items, tickets, etc.? Many other cities have such places in their subways, etc. and, assuming they can turn a profit, it might be a good opportunity for small business owners and bring in a little coin for the city too (in rent). Plus it adds a little bit of life to otherwise sterile environments.