Second City Toronto is getting replaced by a condo development
Second City, one of Toronto’s most well-known improv sketch comedy theatres, is getting pushed out of their downtown Toronto location for the second time by a condo development.
The theatre has been located in a low-rise red brick building on Mercer Street and Blue Jays Way for 15 years. Soon, it will be a 40-storey condo with 500 residential units.
The building owners issued a demolition notice a few months ago. Based on the trend of creative establishments being replaced by contemporary high rises, this wasn’t a surprise, Second City chief executive Andrew Alexander told The Globe and Mail.
The comedy club is now looking at three possible relocation sites. The theatre has always been downtown, previously situated down the block where the Bisha Hotel now stands, from 1997 to 2005.
Their loyal training school students, which amounts to approximately 7,000 people a year, rely on the theatre being easily accessible by public transit.
The necessity of being centrally located posses a secondary problem; Second City may be forced to consider moving into a modern facility. Since the supply of older, low-rise buildings is shrinking downtown, their options are limited.
The current Second City location has two theatres and an 8,000 square foot training centre, located on the third floor. The theatres have 300 and 60 seats, respectively. Alexander is hoping their next location will have three theatres with 300, 250 and 100 seats each.
Second City will remain in their current location until November 2020.
