Five years ago, the big news was a low-rise condo at the corner of Queen and Sherbourne that was to make the revitalization of Moss Park. Units had been sold and it looked like a go. Then the project fell apart.

The GridTO’s Jacob Rutka looks at why:

If there was a contest held to determine which downtown intersection was most in need of revitalization, Queen and Sherbourne would be an easy frontrunner. On its four corners, starting at the northwest and working clockwise, you have the edges of Moss Park; a small convenience mart with barred windows; a faded yellow low-rise building that houses a fried chicken joint called Krispy’s (previously it was a Popeyes Chicken & Seafood); and, finally, 134 Sherbourne St. (also known as 229 Queen St. E., pictured above), a vacant, century old, three-storey building that’s been boarded up and abandoned for the better part of a decade.

Heading north from the intersection, there’s a Salvation Army, some old apartment buildings, and a Dollarama. Go south just a block, and you’ll see new condo developments and restored historical buildings. Walk east and you’ll stumble into an area sometimes referred to as Toronto’s skid row, and if you head back towards Yonge you’ll find an increasing number of boutique storefronts and office buildings in old warehouses. In other words, it’s an intersection of disparities, and one that’s badly in need of a facelift.

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