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With Dupont station steps away and its close proximity to the downtown core, Casa Loma provides an ideal location for a Toronto Museum. The landmark is also steps away from the Spadina House Museum and the City Archives, creating a potential heritage corridor for students, researchers, tourists and other visitors.

A Toronto Museum within Casa Loma and its adjacent properties would fill a deep void in our cultural landscape, improve the feasibility of the existing uses while expanding opportunities for new investment and donations in a unique structure and location.

Now is the right time to move forward with a new cultural institution that will protect and share our city’s heritage and Casa Loma provides the ideal space for it

Great cities celebrate, protect and share their heritage in places of living history where residents can learn about their home and visitors can be introduced to a new place. For decades, successive councils and prominent residents have done significant work toward the creation of a museum for our city. I know many of you have done significant work toward this cause.

The most recent site designated for this purpose is unfortunately no longer available. Staff has confirmed that Old City Hall will be renewing and expanding its lease with the province beyond 2016 for courts and ancillary purposes.

Casa Loma and its adjacent properties contain adequate space for a Toronto Museum that could house a permanent collection and rotating exhibits. For example, if the first floor and second floor of Casa Loma were to be reserved for the Pellatt family exhibit and high-end event space, the needed room for a city collection could be found in the basement and 3rd floors of the main building in addition to the Hunting Lodge and Stables connected to Casa Loma by a tunnel that runs under the street. The total area of these under-utilized spaces is 57,400 sq. ft.