Iconic Toronto car wash closes abruptly after over 70 years

A stalwart Toronto car wash that had been around for over 70 years has closed rather abruptly.

The Avenue Automatic Car Wash, located on Avenue Rd. just north of Lawrence Ave. W., has closed its doors following a rent dispute with its landlord, potentially closing the book on a legacy that began seven decades ago.

A letter from the property owner, affixed to the door of the car wash, explains that "as a result of the Tenant's default for unpaid rent and failure to cure such defaults, the Lease is hereby terminated effective Monday, June 29, 2026, and the Landlord has taken possession of the Premises."

Submitted to blogTO

Opened in 1955 — a point in Toronto's history when automobile ownership was rapidly growing — the business was originally known as Avenue Lawrence Fast Car Wash. While its name and aesthetic changed in the decades that followed, the car wash remained in its original home and was well known for its vintage-style signage throughout its lifespan.

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When it first opened at 1537 Avenue Road, the surrounding neighbourhood was still considered very suburban; well north of the then-new Yonge subway's initial northern terminus at Eglinton, in a pocket of the city where postwar housing construction was running wild, filling the area with the two-car garages of rapidly growing middle-class families.

Vintage Toronto

And while the area remains very car-centric to this day, the spread of mid-rise development on this stretch of Avenue Road has finally come knocking for the car wash's real estate.

The site is part of a broader redevelopment scheme that will see this and surrounding properties razed to make way for a new mixed-use development at 284 Lawrence Avenue West.

The approved proposal from developer First Capital would bring a pair of 14-storey buildings to the site, including 665 condominium units and 15 rental replacement units.

While redevelopment is still likely on the distant horizon due to current market conditions, businesses have already begun to clear the block. Just south of the car wash site, McGilvray Veterinary Hospital relocated to a new location at 1686 Avenue Rd. in March 2023. 

In late 2025, the former Maker Pizza outpost attached to the north side of the car wash was forced out by its landlord, continuing the gradual vacation of the block. Now, the car wash has met the same fate.

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Despite the pending redevelopment, another sign posted to the car wash's exterior driveway gate explains that the property is already "closed for renovations" and operating "under new management," indicating that the car wash may not disappear for good just yet, and could remain around for some time as many large redevelopment visions sit in limbo awaiting favourable market conditions.