Up in smoke - Studio plans for Toronto tannery scuppered by fire
Plans to convert a former tannery complex in Toronto, Canada, into film studios were abandoned last week (commencing 26.03.01) after the building was badly damaged by fire.
The former A.R. Clarke & Co. tannery caught light at around 6.00 am on Monday when workers using acetylene cutters set fire to material in the building’s ventilation system. Despite the best efforts of the fire crews in attendance, the blaze raced through the historic wood beamed complex, causing roofs to collapse and several hundred local residents to be evacuated. For most of the day, the area was marked by a massive plume of black smoke that could be seen for miles around.
Ironically, the sale of the building to neighbouring Toronto Film Studios was due to be completed at 10 a.m. the same morning. The studios had agreed to buy the empty tannery for less than its C$3.5 million asking price and were ready to assume responsibility for the multi-million dollar clean-up of the site, in addition to $500,000 in back property taxes. However, it is now likely that the restoration plan will have to be abandoned and the complex replaced and a new building.
Despite the concerns of the authorities on contaminants given off by the blaze, the health hazards posed were found to be minimal as most chemicals were removed when the tannery closed in early 2000.
