{"id":45783,"date":"2013-06-18T09:45:26","date_gmt":"2013-06-18T13:45:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.buzzbuzzhome.com\/?p=45783"},"modified":"2013-06-18T10:20:15","modified_gmt":"2013-06-18T14:20:15","slug":"condo-masonic-temple","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/archives\/condo-masonic-temple","title":{"rendered":"No condo going here: Toronto&#8217;s historic Masonic Temple"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4 id='pressboard-ad-sponsorship-tag' style='margin-bottom: 35px;'><\/h4><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/2013\/06\/condo-masonic-temple.html\/masonic-temple-condo\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-45789\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-45789\" alt=\"Masonic Temple condo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Masonic-Temple-condo-300x272.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"272\" \/><\/a>Info-Tech Research Group, a Canadian IT research firm, has purchased the famed Masonic Temple from Bell Media.<\/p>\n<p>The historic building has stood at the north west corner of Yonge and Davenport Street in downtown Toronto since 1916. As its name would suggest, it served as a home for various Masonic bodies, as well as a concert venue where big name acts like Frank Sinatra and the Rolling Stones have performed.<\/p>\n<p>More recently the building has housed CTV and, since March 2006, MTV Canada. In March 2013, the building was placed on the market.\u00a0<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Info-Tech acquired the Masonic Temple from Bell Media for a cool $12.5 million. In a press release announcing the purchase, Joel McLean, the Info-Tech&#8217;s CEO, said the company plans on maintaining the concert hall and will be looking into opportunities to host an annual Charity Black Tie Concert.<\/p>\n<p>There was speculation that the site would be purchased by a residential land developer and &#8220;condofied,&#8221; however, because the building is designated under Ontario Heritage Act as a historic site, any new construction would be required to maintain large portions of the existing building.<\/p>\n<p>Is it a strange fit for a IT consulting firm? What would the Rolling Stones make of all of this?<\/p>\n<p>CEO Joel McLean told the Canadian Press that they want the building to impress visitors from outside the country.\u00a0&#8220;We&#8217;re consistently inviting company after company into Toronto (and) we wanted something that was spectacular to come see,&#8221; he told the Canadian Press.<\/p>\n<p>Sounds like he won&#8217;t be having any problems impressing visitors &#8212; just look at this roster of bands that have played the Masonic Temple:<\/p>\n<p><strong>David Bowie<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/2013\/06\/condo-masonic-temple.html\/david-bowie\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-45784\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-45784\" alt=\"David Bowie\" src=\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/David-Bowie.jpg\" width=\"392\" height=\"599\" \/><\/a><em>Photo: Wiki Commons<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Led Zeppelin<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/2013\/06\/condo-masonic-temple.html\/led-zeppelin\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-45785\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-45785\" alt=\"Led Zeppelin\" src=\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Led-Zeppelin.jpg\" width=\"666\" height=\"600\" \/><\/a><\/strong><em>Photo: Wiki Commons<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Rolling Stones<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/2013\/06\/condo-masonic-temple.html\/the-rolling-stones\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-45786\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-45786\" alt=\"The Rolling Stones\" src=\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/The-Rolling-Stones.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"540\" \/><\/a><\/strong><em>Photo: Wiki Commons<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Smashing Pumpkins<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/2013\/06\/condo-masonic-temple.html\/smashing-pumpkins\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-45787\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-45787\" alt=\"smashing pumpkins\" src=\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/smashing-pumpkins.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/a><\/strong><em>Photo: Wiki Commons<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Pixies<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/2013\/06\/condo-masonic-temple.html\/the-pixies\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-45788\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-45788\" alt=\"The Pixies\" src=\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/The-Pixies.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" \/><\/a><\/strong><em>Photo: Wiki Commons<\/em><\/p>\n<div id='pressboard-ad-sponsorship-msg'><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The historic building has been acquired by an IT consulting firm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":45789,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11269],"tags":[],"coauthors":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.4 - 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