PAST AND PRESENT
the horizontal banding and maintaining the planar relationship that existed between the existing windows and brick. Unfortunately, due to some addi- tional remediation of the property that was required, the existing loading bay had to be taken down and rebuilt; there was a very identifiable landmark feature in a smokestack from an incinerator that was beyond rehabilita- tion due to unstable and crumbling brick that if left would have created an unsafe environment. Otherwise, all original historical aspects of the building were preserved and main- tained. All work was done with consul- tation and approval from Toronto Heritage Preservation Services. As a result of our commitment to preserving the history of this building, members of the community have already rallied, and we are proud to be the new home of the collection display area of the Leaside Heritage
Preservation Society. Also, MacCallum, whose photographs hang in Canada’s National Gallery, has donated some of his photographs of the building to hang in our boardroom. This is not Apple Self Storage’s first adaptive reuse project. Currently, 19 of our 45 locations have been adapted from a previous use, ranging from a Danier Leather warehouse to an unused parking garage, an obsolete Canadian Tire store, and an unused portion of a shopping mall. Finding and repurposing existing, vacant, obsolete space and transforming it into a useful and produc- tive part of a local economy is some- thing we believe is good for communi- ties and good for the environment. Committing to adapt an existing building to a new use for which it was never intended is certainly not an easy project. But when all the benefits of such a project are taken into account, it is certainly a meaningful endeavor.
Preserving the history and stories of a place and contributing to a sense of community is worth something. Add to that the benefits of carbon capture and landfill diversion, and there’s real practical benefits to attempting to adapt and reuse what’s already there. And if we look back at the cyclical nature of recycling, it’s easy to see the business imperative in adaptive reuse. If reimagining an existing building is good for the environment, quality of life, and community’s sense of place, then it will attract more customers, residents, and visitors, thus improving the local economy and being “good for business.” It’s a perfect example of a case of reduce, reuse, recycle, and revitalize.
David Allan is the vice president of development and acquisitions at Apple Self Storage.
October 2022
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