The Columbus Centre, in North York — long a place where the city's Italian-Canadians could congregate — has recently found itself at the heart of a controversy that's splitting the community.

The reason? A grand, $70-million plan to redevelop the site, which is located near the corner of Dufferin Street and Lawrence Avenue West.

It currently houses fitness ammenities, banquet rooms and restaurants, long-term care facilities, an art gallery and extensive landscaped grounds, all created decades ago by the city's Italian community.

Villa Charities CEO Anthony DiCaita checks out an architect's model of the new, re-imagined Columbus Centre. (Mike Smee/CBC News)

But the organization that runs the centre, Villa Charities, is joining with the Toronto Catholic District School Board in a plan to raze the existing structure and build new facilities, which would include a Catholic high school, Dante Alighieri Academy.

Anthony DiCaita, Villa Charities' president and CEO, said he expects there will be shovels in the ground by next summer, and that the redevelopment will be completed in 2020.

"We feel that route is bound to create an exodus of members to the point that the Columbus Centre per se will die a natural death," said Joseph Baglieri, a 30-year member, who also helped found a group called Save the Columbus Centre.

But DiCaita told CBC Toronto he's convinced the additions in the new plan will be a vast improvement for members.

The Columbus Centre sits on about four acres. Some members worry its landscaped green spaces could be lost in the redevelopment. (Mike Smee/CBC)

"We're going to be putting a theatre in ... chefs from around the world providing cooking lessons and classes; our fitness facilities will be upgraded, and then we'll have access to a lot of different space in the Dante Alighieri side of the building," he said.

But Baglieri said some of the current members say they weren't properly consulted. They also disapprove of the plan to include a high school, he said.

"A mix between teenagers and older people is never good," he said, adding some members also feel it could be unhealthy for the teens to be mixing with adults who are strangers.

Jospeh Baglieri, a 30-year member of the Columbus Centre, worries about the wisdom of mixing high school students with older adults. (Ed Middleton/CBC)

DiCaita said young people have always been part of the Columbus Centre community as employees or as students at Italian-language classes run at the centre.

Besides, he said, there'll be an agreement in place between the school and the centre that will outline when the school's students and the centre's members can use the facilities.

But Baglieri said some members also believe that, as the first major Italian-Canadian gathering place in Toronto, the existing structure has heritage value, even though it was only erected in 1980.

An architect's model of the new Columbus Centre complex sits in the building's rotunda. (Mike Smee/CBC)

"It's not only bricks-and-mortar. It represents the fulcrum, the centre of the Italian community when it came into being in the late '70s, early '80s."

I am working with the community to Save Our Columbus Centre. Please spread the word and support our efforts <a href="https://t.co/Y0kGMMJm9N">https://t.co/Y0kGMMJm9N</a> <a href="https://t.co/w9sLk1asYz">pic.twitter.com/w9sLk1asYz</a> —@MikeColleMPP The local MPP, Liberal Mike Colle, and his son, Coun. Josh Colle, are both against the re-development plan.

Villa Charities has applied to the Ontario Municipal Board to approve its re-development plan, even though city planners still haven't ruled on the proposal.

Artist and Columbus Centre volunteer Christine Genowefe says she's angry about the proposed change and will be attending the next public meeting about the redevelopment. (Ed Middleton/CBC)

Josh Colle (Ward 15 Eglinton-Lawrence) said city council agreed last week to fight the plan at the OMB. And he said he understands the argument that the existing structure deserves a heritage designation — something city staff are looking into.

"There's opposition to it because it would tear down and demolish the Columbus Centre, which is the jewel of the Italian Canadian community in Canada, really," he said.

"It'd be equivalent of saying, 'The Agha Khan building was only built a few years ago and so has no cultural or heritage significance - let's tear it down,'" said Colle.

DiCaito said Villa Charities is in the process of establishing a community advisory panel which would give members and citizens in the surrounding neighbourhoods a chance to express their concerns.

CEO Anthony DeCaita says he's hoping the new Columbus Centre will open in 2020. (Tina Mackenzie/CBC)

Christine Genowefe, who has volunteered at the centre and had her artwork exhibited at the gallery there, says she'll take that opportunity to voice her opposition.

"I'm so upset," she told CBC Toronto this week. "Normally I'm a quiet person but this is an issue that to me cannot go unquestioned.

"I'm going to show up on every occasion to speak to the issue. Leave the Columbus Centre as is."