Built as a Methodist Church in 1871, Sold for $3.75 Million: Toronto’s Berkeley Church Gets a New Owner

• Hyde Park Homes Limited has bought the Berkeley Church at 315–317 Queen Street East, Toronto, for $3,750,000.
• The building was built in 1871 as a Wesleyan Methodist church and designated under the Ontario Heritage Act in 1997.
• It became an event venue in 1999; Berkeley Events went into receivership in 2023 owing about $10.5 million to TD.
• The new owner plans to restore it and reopen it as a hospitality venue in fall 2026.

A former Methodist church in downtown Toronto that became a well-known music and event venue has a new owner. Storeys reported that Hyde Park Homes Limited has bought the Berkeley Church in Corktown for $3,750,000.

The building at 315–317 Queen Street East was built in 1871 as a Wesleyan Methodist church in the Gothic Revival style. It was designated under the Ontario Heritage Act in 1997 and converted into an event venue in 1999, hosting artists including Tegan and Sara, Feist and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Its operator, Berkeley Events, was placed in receivership in 2023, owing about $10.5 million to TD.

Gary Freedman, president of Hyde Park Homes, said the company bought the church “for the purposes of restoring the exterior and interior of the church (designed in the Gothic Revival style) and reopening the property in the fall of 2026 as a multi-purpose hospitality venue, with a well-known Toronto restaurant/food and beverage partner.” He said it would be suitable for “weddings, corporate and charitable events, festivals, concerts and other theatrical performances.”

The sale shows how a heritage church can keep its value through several lives: a place of worship, then a venue, then a restoration project after its operator’s receivership.

Old churches have strong character, large open interiors and central locations, which is why they appeal to event and hospitality businesses. They also bring heritage rules and restoration costs, and the Berkeley’s receivership shows that a striking building does not guarantee a profitable business. Jamaican investors, including returning residents, looking at historic buildings in Kingston, Spanish Town, Falmouth or Montego Bay should weigh heritage restrictions, repair bills and realistic income as carefully as the building’s charm. The Toronto buyer is betting that restoration plus a strong operating partner will make the numbers work.

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