Proposed mixed-use development to replace Gags Unlimited building on Osborne
The Gags Unlimited building along with some neighbouring properties on Osborne Street is expected to be demolished next year to make way for a proposed mixed-use development, bringing more residential and commercial space to Osborne Village.
Local developer Adam Sharfe told CTV News he took possession of a string of properties along Osborne Street last September and is proposing a mixed-use development for the area.
Sharfe said the development includes the properties from 197 to 213 Osborne Street, which include the old antique shop, a parking lot, the old laundromat, and the building where Gags Unlimited is housed currently.
He said the plan is to build a six-storey building with seven commercial units on the main floor and 90 residential units above that, with around 74 parking units.
A rendering of a proposed mixed-use development on Osborne Street. (Supplied: Adam Sharfe)
"At the end of the day, we're just really excited about the possibility of putting up something there that could really help the area, the residents and the and the businesses around there," Sharfe told CTV News.
Sharfe said there have been three rounds of public consultation.
"We really haven't had any full-blown opposition to it, which is really encouraging," Sharfe said, adding there were some concerns from people regarding traffic in the area and shadows on the pool next door.
He said he has done traffic studies and a shadow study in response to the concerns.
"It seems there are a lot of residents that are optimistic about what could come there," he said.
Lindsay Sommers, the executive director of Osborne Village Biz, told CTV News in an email the organization is looking forward to the investment and growth opportunity for the Osborne Village neighbourhood.
Cheryl Wiebe, the owner of Gags Unlimited, recently told CTV News the store is getting a spooky new home. Wiebe has purchased the Hamilton House on Henderson Highway, and plans to move Gags Unlimited into the bottom level and rent out the two top levels as residential apartments on Airbnb.
READ MORE: Winnipeg's Hamilton House, known for paranormal activity, getting restored
Sharfe said besides Gags Unlimited, there are a few other tenants in the buildings. He said the other tenants have expressed interest in staying in the buildings as long as possible, which he estimated to be until August 2022.
He said the development project is still in its early processes, but the plan is to have the buildings demolished and construction starting in the fall of next year.
"The goal is to rebuild there with something that can bring a lot more residential units to the area and space for a lot of local companies to come and grow," he said.
Sharfe said he is currently working with the city on the rezoning and variances for the properties.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Video shows suspect setting Toronto-area barbershop on fire
Video of a suspect lighting a Richmond Hill barbershop on fire earlier this week has been released by police.
'I have the will to live': N.B. woman needs double lung transplant
A New Brunswick woman suffering from sarcoidosis, a disease that limits your lung capacity, is in need of a double lung transplant.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Early results from London, U.K., suggest Labour's Sadiq Khan will secure a record third term as mayor
Sadiq Khan, the Labour Party's mayor of London, appeared Saturday to be romping to victory as results from the capital pour in.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.