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From 1889 to 1976, a large sandstone
cathedral was home to the Parkdale United Church, on the southeast
corner of King West and Dunn Ave.
In 1973, faced with rising costs and a
changing community, the congregation created the Parkdale United Church
Foundation (PUCF), a charitable non-profit organization.
In 1976, the church built a 137-unit
apartment building, Phoenix Place Apartments. These apartments are home
to many who would otherwise find housing too expensive or difficult to
obtain, including persons who are new to Canada, who have been living
in shelters or sub-standard housing, or who lack the resources to find
decent shelter elsewhere, Phoenix Place is known for its excellent
management and peace and quiet, and currently has a three-year waiting
list.
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For more information about Phoenix Place and
affordable housing, click here.
In 2002, the congregation renewed its
mission and mandate and decided to add new and larger units, and to
carry out this work based on the principles of sustainability, or
“green construction”.
Phoenix Place continues to be home to the
United Church congregation and several other congregations in the
Sanctuary, and also provides space for community groups and individuals
hosting various events in the Banquet Hall.
In December, 2007, the Foundation completed
construction work on the renovation of Shalom House, an
adjacent property at 1339 King West, 10 new units of affordable housing
were added. At
the same time, contractors installed a geo-thermal heating and
cooling plant to replace the site's aging boilers and to prepare for
other retrofit work. Please see other pages on this site for more
information about the project.
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