Item - 2026.PB44.12

The Toronto Preservation Board recommends that:

1. City Council state its intention to amend By-law 715-2017, which designates the property at 339 Queen Street East under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, pursuant to Section 30.1 of the Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with Attachment 2, Statement of Significance (Revised Reasons for Designation): 339 Queen Street East appended to the report (April 27, 2026) from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

2. If there are no objections to the proposed amendment to the By-law 715-2017, City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce the Bill in Council amending By-law 715- 2017 under Part IV, Section 30.1 of the Ontario Heritage Act.

This report recommends that City Council amend the Reasons for Designation within the 2017 City of Toronto By-law 715-2017 designating the property at 339 Queen Street East under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, to include within the property's description reference to the direct association of the property with Cecil B. Tadman's nearly 50-year ownership of the property as the Home Furniture Company Limited, to further clarify the property's value as a representative example of Chicago School style architecture, and to include the historic post and beam timber frame construction as a heritage attribute.

The property at 339 Queen Street East is located at the south-west corner of Queen Street East and Parliament Street. Built in 1907, with an extension in 1925-1926, the building is a three-storey, brick-clad store and warehouse, with curtain wall cladding on the first two storeys of the principal north and east façades. The property continuously operated as a furniture store for over a century. The property was originally owned by the Home Furniture Carpet Co. Ltd. from 1907 until 1928 and was sold to an employee, Cecil B. Tadman, who renamed the business “The Home Furniture Company Limited.” Tadman continued to own and operate the store for nearly 50 years until his death in 1976. The property was then owned and occupied by Marty Millionaire Ltd. from 1978 until 2014.

A rehabilitation of the building was completed in 2017 to house the WE Global Learning Centre, within which the original post and beam timber frame construction was retained. Staff have subsequently reviewed the interior and determined that it contributes to the physical value of 339 Queen Street East and its association with the Chicago School style and is therefore a heritage attribute. Additionally, in June 2024, the local Councillor requested that Heritage Planning staff respond to a concern expressed by the Tadman family that despite his long association with the property and the prominence of his business, Cecil B. Tadman's was not referenced in the designation by-law.

On December 2, 2025, the Toronto Public Library (TPL) announced the purchase of the property at 339 Queen Street East to house a new district library branch that will replace the current neighbourhood St. Lawrence branch located at 171 Front Street. At present TPL staff and Heritage Planning staff are exchanging information about the heritage significance of the building, including the proposed designation by-law amendment.

As a result of staff review, Heritage Planning recommend that the City Council amend designation By-law 715-2017 with the Revised Reasons for Designation, appended as Attachment 2 to this report. A comparison of the existing and proposed revised wording for Schedule "A" of By-law 715-2017 is appended in this report as Attachment 3.