Local union to renovate Kenilworth building that housed grow-op
It’s a ‘big step in the ongoing renaissance’ of the east-end avenue: Merulla
Organized labour is stepping up to resurrect a Kenilworth Avenue building made infamous by a marijuana grow-op linked to Mob violence.
Public sector union CUPE Local 5167 has bought the former Boomers bar at 229 Kenilworth — a building that once hosted a strip club and until recently housed a controversial medical marijuana grow-op.
The grow-op building spurred resident odour complaints, a prolonged eviction effort by the city through the courts and eventually a police raid. In March, leaseholder Antonio Sergi — known to police as “Tony Large” — was shot in the head and killed in his Toronto driveway.
CUPE 5167, which represents close to 3,000 city workers, expects to take possession of the dilapidated building in October and begin renovating it into a headquarters and union hall by next summer, said local president Sandra Walker.
“We want to turn it into one of the best-looking buildings on the street,” Walker said.
Ward Coun. Sam Merulla called the deal another “big step in the ongoing renaissance” of Kenilworth.
“The residents were excited when we shut (the grow-op) down so they’ll be even more excited now,” said Merulla, who noted the dilapidated facade of the building has spurred complaints from a new influx of retailers on the street.
“This is yet another message to developers: things are happening on Kenilworth.”
In a roundabout way, residents can thank the planned $1-billion light rail transit project for the union’s decision to buy on Kenilworth.
The union’s current head office on King Street East is slated to be expropriated by LRT project head Metrolinx, Walker said. Negotiations over that purchase price continue, she said, but the union needs to be out of the building by next June.
The union will have a better sense of the amount and cost of needed work in the almost 6,000square-foot Kenilworth building later this fall.
“But all the (marijuana) plants are definitely out,” Walker said, laughing. “I don’t anticipate the most recent use will pose any serious problems for us.”