TMU will replace the Imperial Pub with more than 1,300 student units
Goodbye, sentimental drinking. Hello, condo-style suites for the youth
After 81 years at Yonge and Dundas, beloved watering hole the Imperial Pub closed for good last weekend. Over the decades, its charmingly dated decor, cozy couches and library aesthetic made the bar a refuge from the wacky activity on Yonge and a go-to for TMU students to play some pool, watch live music and nurse cheap pints. For many, it was a well-kept secret, particularly its discreet upstairs patio overlooking Sankofa Square.
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But the Imperial’s demise has been a done deal for over three years. Its closure follows TMU’s purchase of the land for a new 21-storey student residence that will wrap around both Dundas and Bond streets. The provincial government has committed $83 million to the 1,370-bed project, which was designed to meet the soaring demand for student housing downtown. The residence will comprise condo-like suites and will provide academic and social services to its residents. Pre-construction is expected to begin by the end of 2026.
The Imperial Pub’s ending comes at a difficult time for city’s famous dive bars: Red Room on Spadina, the Dakota Tavern on Ossington and the Velvet Underground on Queen West have all shuttered recently, citing rising commercial rents, higher costs for food and alcohol, and Torontonians’ shifting relationship with drinking on the regular.
Ali Amad is a Palestinian-Canadian journalist based in Toronto. His work has appeared in publications including Toronto Life, Maclean’s, Vice, Reader’s Digest and the Walrus, often exploring themes of identity, social justice and the immigrant experience.
