Biway Zone now gone after decades on Lake Shore Blvd. to be replaced by condos. Staff photo.
New Toronto residents looking for deals are wondering the fate of a decades-old family-run Biway Zone discount shop that abruptly shut last month.
Locals said there are no signs on the door at the 2950 Lake Shore Blvd. W. discount store and have been trying to find out what happened.
The bargain store and an jointly owned office building at 2970 Lake Shore Blvd. W. are slated for demolition to make way for a new condo development.
The discount store wasn’t an official Biway outpost, but it used to be. It is one of a few Biways left standing.
The store was taken over by a family in 2000 after the chain filed for bankruptcy. It was restocked and renamed Biway Zone.
“We have served the community for a long time, so leaving the community behind is sad and difficult,” Anish Chopra, the owner’s son told Blog TO. “But, at the same time, we are excited to finally retire and see where this new chapter in life will take us.”
Proposed condo to replace Biway Zone at 2950 and office building at 2970 Lake Shore Blvd. W. which are now gone.
The popular store was operating on a monthly rental basis and frequented by many residents looking for a deal on clothing, household, kitchen ware and other goods.
The sites were in 2020 the scene of many protests by community groups who fought against the City to prevent them from being converted into a 100-bed homeless shelter.
An application was submitted to the City of Toronto in 2019 to convert the 2950 and 2970 Lake Shore Blvd. W. properties into a nine storey mixed-use building that will contain 95 residential rental units and retail use.
The proposal would contain 27 studio units, 37 one-bedroom apartments, 15 two-bedroom units and 16 three-bedroom units.
The applicant proposes a total of 32 residential parking spaces in a one- storey underground garage.
Another view of the proposed condo to replace 2950 and 2970 Lake Shore Blvd. W.
Access to the underground garage would be from Eighth Street by an existing private laneway on the north side of the building.
The development would include a storage space for 73 bicycles, of which seven would be short-term and 66 would be long-term.
The proposal was turned down at the time by Etobicoke York Community Council, whose members were of the opinion that it did not conform to bylaws and the area’s Growth Plan.
“The proposal does not conform with the Toronto Official Plan, particularly regarding the avenues, built form and mixed use areas policies,” according to the community council.
“The proposal would establish an undesirable precedent, does not represent good planning and is not in the public interest in its current form,” they ruled.
The applicant was ordered to make some changes before the proposal can be approved.