Toronto’s historical Matador ballroom in Little Italy is officially closing following years of failed revamps, reopenings and attempts to get city permits.The building, at College St. and Dovercourt Rd., was sold earlier in May, owner Paul McCaughey confirmed to the Star late Sunday. The property is now owned by TAS DesignBuild, a real estate company that specializes in condo development. The Matador, which is 103 years old, has been home to performances by Johnny Cash, Joni Mitchell, Stompin’ Tom Connors and Leonard Cohen. In September 2018, McCaughey got a zoning certificate from the city, which allowed the space to operate as a place of assembly, eating establishment and custom workshop, after nine years of efforts to legally reopen the space.McCaughey finally considered selling the Matador after failing to find the “right partners” to convert the space into a restaurant and wine bar, as he’d planned.“At this point, I’m just relieved I finally get to close this chapter of my life,” McCaughey told the Star. “There’s no doubt in my mind that if we had not had the difficulties in the process of our many applications to the city, the Matador would be open today.”“The process took far too long.”Andrew Munger, a documentary film producer who has lived near the Matador for 25 years, said he’s disappointed about losing a part of Toronto’s cultural fabric, which he said “represents the music era in Toronto.”Munger spent days in the Matador a couple years ago shooting part of a documentary, Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band, produced by Martin Scorsese. The film will be released in theatres this fall.“The city does have tools,” Munger said, noting the Matador could have been designated as a heritage site. “It has historical foundation beyond the more recent history of the matador as a night club . . . I think the city takes it for gran ...
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