The stately Guild Inn, in the heart of Scarborough’s Guildwood Village, has long been a shell of its former glorious self.

Where windows once offered a view of artists, sculptors and craftsmen at work, there are now boards. And where guests could once walk freely on the grounds, a bright yellow sign reading “DANGER – KEEP OUT” now hangs on fencing wrapped around the dilapidated estate.

But after decades of disrepair, the historic Toronto landmark is set to undergo a transformation, breathing new life into the century-old property once used as an inn and artists’ colony.

Demolitions and restoration efforts will start within a couple of months, according to representatives for the City of Toronto and Dynamic Hospitality and Entertainment Group, the company given the green light to redevelop the site back in 2014.

“Through a variety of council negotiations, we’re close to completing all the paperwork and approvals to go ahead with the revitalization of the Guild Inn and construction of a community and special events place,” said Mike Williams, Toronto’s general manager of economic development and culture.

Site plan approval should be completed within the next few weeks, he added.

Dynamic plans to restore the old Bickford house — a manor built in 1914 that would later become the sprawling Guild Inn complex — and build a new addition, according to president Sam D’Uva.

The new building will house a restaurant and a special-event venue catering to weddings and corporate functions, community events and charitable fundraisers.

Construction should start by the end of September or middle of October, D’Uva said. In the meantime, the city is responsible for removing toxic elements such as mould and asbestos from the building, he added.

The whole project will cost “in excess of $16 million between the city and Dynamic,” according to Williams, with about $5 million of that coming from the city.

In its heyday, the Inn was home to Rosa and Spencer Clark, a wealthy couple whose passion for the arts and crafts led them to found the Guild of All Arts in the 1930s.

The Clarks expanded their property and opened their doors to both artists and visitors in the years ahead, including famous people such as Glenn Gould, Sir Lawrence Olivier, Lester B. Pearson and members of the Group of Seven.

But after the Inn’s sale to the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority in 1978 — and the deaths of the Clarks a few years later — the property bounced around between tenants and eventually fell into disrepair.

John Mason, president of the community organization Friends of Guild Park and Gardens, is thrilled the long-neglected property is finally being revitalized, but said community members are concerned about a lack of public input.

“There still has been no opportunity for people to really understand how the restaurant project is going to be handled, and how it also fits into the context of a very popular, historic and unique public site,” Mason said.

Williams said he can understand the frustration of community members, but said the city has done a “reasonable job” of providing information.

“It’s awkward when you’re negotiating to meet those needs, simply because of the confidentiality of the negotiating process,” he added.

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With the project now in motion, D’Uva said Dynamic hopes to reopen the Guild Inn by October 2016.

“The premises are a spectacular location,” he said.

“It’s beautifully landscaped and it’s a phenomenal site. The people of Toronto are going to really enjoy what’s coming.”

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A CENTURY OF GLORY AND NEGLECT

1914: What would eventually become the Guild Inn was built in 1914 as a 33-room Arts and Crafts-style manor for the wealthy military family of Colonel Harold Bickford. The stunning country home changed hands over the years — but was later abandoned.

1932: Heiress Rosa Breithaupt Hewetson purchased the manor in 1932, shortly before marrying a young engineer named Spencer Clark. The couple quickly transformed their home into The Guild of All Arts, a co-operative arts and crafts community, and later built additions and guest rooms.

1953: The Clarks sold 400 acres of their sprawling land for development — which would eventually become the community of Guildwood Village — but kept 90 acres around the Guild and began collecting pieces of Toronto’s historic buildings that were being torn down for new skyscrapers.

1965: As the Guild Inn grew popular with tourists, a six-storey, 100-room east wing was added to accommodate additional visitors staying on the Clark property to see artists and craftsmen at work. Shown here in 2008, the wing was demolished the following year to facilitate redevelopment efforts.

1978: The Metropolitan Toronto and Region Conservation Authority purchased the Guild Inn and property from the aging Clarks, who managed the Inn for the next five years. But following the couple’s deaths, the property bounced around between tenants for several decades.

2006: While the grounds and sculptures were cared for by the city, the Inn was eventually boarded up and became dilapidated. In 2006, city workers found the Inn’s historic basement artists’ studio under nearly two metres of water after a pump failure.