Walk north on Yonge Street from Queen, past the glowing marquee of the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres. Then a small stone temple seems to step forward from the storefronts. Its 4 tall Corinthian columns hold up a richly carved crown. Above, a rounded dome crowns a building barely wider than a shop. It’s the old Bank of Toronto building at 205 Yonge Street, across from the Eaton Centre. Plus, it’s a short stroll from Massey Hall. Our latest reel gives you the quick tour. But here’s the fuller story in 5 facts.
Built in 1905 by the Architect of Casa Loma
Fact 1: Heritage records date the building to 1905. It came from the drafting table of E.J. Lennox, the prominent Toronto architect behind Old City Hall and Casa Loma. In fact, Lennox designed some of the city’s grandest landmarks, so you can feel that confidence in every block of carved stone.
Small Footprint, Big Presence
Fact 2: The building is only 4 storeys on a narrow mid-block site. Still, it reads as grand from the sidewalk. That’s the trick of Lennox’s neoclassical design. It leans on Beaux-Arts influences to make a very small building look large and imposing. Inside, mosaic and terrazzo floors, marble walls and stained glass skylights dressed the banking hall. Plus, light poured through large frosted windows on the south side. The City of Toronto designated the property under the Ontario Heritage Act in 1975. Also, an Ontario Heritage Trust easement protects both the exterior and the main banking hall.
From Bank of Toronto to TD
Fact 3: The building went up for the Bank of Toronto, founded in 1855. At the time, Canada’s banks competed to out-build each other on the city’s busiest streets. Then, in 1955, the Bank of Toronto merged with the Dominion Bank to form the Toronto-Dominion Bank. That’s the TD you know today, and the branch carried on under the new name. It was also among 3 classical banks on this stretch of Yonge. The others were the Bank of Commerce next door at 197 Yonge and the Bank of Montreal at 173 Yonge.
Fact 4: After its banking days, the City bought the building. For a time, it housed the Toronto Historical Board. Heritage Toronto even based its logo on the building’s distinctive profile.
Quiet Years and a Second Life
Fact 5: The City sold the property in the early 2000s. Then it sat empty for close to 20 years while plans came and went. In 2021, a new private owner bought it, and a careful restoration followed. Today, it’s the head office of Optimize Financial Group. The company says the original Corinthian columns, stained glass ceiling and brass doors still stand alongside modern workspaces.
Because it’s a working office, the best way to enjoy it is from the street. So come by on a sunny afternoon, when the restored stone glows warm beside the glass of Massey Tower next door. Then take a moment to look up. It’s a little piece of 1905 that’s still earning its keep on Yonge.
Watch the reel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mytorontonews/reel/Dd6H7jzOzvw/