Toronto's Phoenix Concert Theatre plans to move to Parkdale Hall
· Toronto Sun
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The Phoenix is migrating to the west end of the city.
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The owners behind Toronto’s iconic live music venue, The Phoenix Concert Theatre, are eyeing a move to Parkdale Hall, according to a press release issued Tuesday.
The Phoenix’s owners have submitted plans to City Hall to relocate to the west-end movie theatre-turned-event space located at 1605 Queen St. W.
The proposal is subject to rezoning and other required city approvals, with both venues expected to continue operating at their existing locations until approvals and construction are complete, the Phoenix owners said in the press release.
“Over more than 35 years, The Phoenix has become much more than another concert venue: it is a community space where Toronto audiences discover new artists, where established performers return to connect more closely with their fans, and where countless memorable nights become part of the city’s musical history,” said Lisa Zbitnew, co-owner and operator of The Phoenix Concert Theatre.
“Now, the vision is to carry that legacy into a building with an entertainment history that stretches back more than a century.”
Parkdale site once home to historic theatre
Before its life as an event space, Parkdale Hall operated as a 1,500-seat theatre in the 1920s, envisioned by cinema pioneers Jay and Jules Allen and designed by architect C. Howard Crane — the man who also designed the Danforth Music Hall.
“There is something incredibly fitting about bringing The Phoenix to Parkdale Hall,” said Alex Chan, president of Parkdale Hall.
“This building was created for entertainment more than 100 years ago, and The Phoenix has spent more than three decades creating its own remarkable history in Toronto. Bringing those two stories together gives us an opportunity to respect what came before while creating something new for the city’s west end,” he added.
The new venue will have the same capacity as the current Phoenix location, which is capped at 1,350.
The Phoenix had previously announced that it was searching for a new location after developers filed proposals to rezone the site for condos . The current location will continue to operate at 410 Sherbourne St. in 2027.
Throughout its storied history, the music venue has welcomed acts like The Ramones, Foo Fighters, Rage Against The Machine, The Tragically Hip and Broken Social Scene.