Regent-rification

The perimeter is gated, however there does not seem to be any security or surveillance on the site. Broken glass is scattered across many of the floors, and there are some loose nails sticking out of boards that I had to watch out for. There's quite a few circular drilled holes in the floor (and some natural holes as well), which can take out your ankles if you aren't paying attention.

Lastly, the basement is infested with asbestos, so don't be like me who brought a regular mask- and instead bring a proper respirator.

The rows and rows of community housing on Gerrard St E has been around for as long as I can remember (much longer than that as well). However, its time is coming to an end. In 2005, TCHC (Toronto Community Housing Corporation) proposed a 5 phase called the "Regent Park Revitalization Project". This project's focus was to "revitalize the economic and social fabric of the community". Take that as you will. Further information on this project can be found here.

Phase 4 and 5 of this project started in November 2023. A key part of this phase included TCHC filing a rezoning application with the City of Toronto- for the purposes of demolishing the community housing on the south side of Gerrard St E. With this information in mind, I knew that there wasn't much time left for me to visit what remains of Regent's abandoned community housing.