City auctions off 22 properties for unpaid taxes

torontosun.com
June 2, 2022
Antonella Artuso

Over $21.1 million worth of Toronto buildings are up for sale over unpaid taxes.

The 22 properties range from vacant Scarborough industrial land to a number of commercial units in a Spadina Ave. mall.

Toronto takes action once property taxes have been in arrears for two years or more, and typical sites that are sold have amassed large arrears and are often unoccupied.

“The City makes every reasonable attempt to contact the property owner by mail, telephone, site visits and speaking with neighbours to locate and inform the property owner before listing a property for sale,” a city statement released Wednesday says. “If a property owner pays their outstanding taxes before the last day of the tax sale on June 29, they will be able to retain their property.”

Eighteen of the sites up for sale are located at 222 Spadina Ave., a building with commercial properties on the main floor.

One of the properties is currently occupied by a tenant --- the Toronto Community and Culture Centre whose website described it as the Toronto Mainland Chinese Community Centre where social, employment and entertainment activities are held.

The City of Toronto purchased three floors of 222 Spadina Ave. and in November announced it was issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) to select Indigenous housing organizations to provide affordable homes.

“These new homes will contribute to the collective efforts to end chronic homelessness for Indigenous residents who are over-represented among people experiencing homelessness in Toronto, and to improve housing stability for Indigenous households at risk of homelessness,” a city statement issued on Nov. 12 said.

A city spokesperson said the units subject to the tax sale are not owned by the city, and instead are individually owned commercial units within the mall.

“The City does own some units (at 222 Spadina Avenue), specifically they purchased three floors to convert 92 hotel rooms to 84 self-contained apartments and shared space intended to be dedicated to women, Indigenous residents, seniors, people with disabilities and other people who are experiencing, or are at risk of homelessness,” the spokesperson said.

The Spadina Avenue building, between Queen St. W. and Dundas St. W., was purchased through the Federal Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) which allocated $203.3 million to the city, according to council documents.

At the time of council consideration, the building was described as having retail and restaurant uses that fronted Spadina Ave.