{"id":780579,"date":"2026-07-04T21:58:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T21:58:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/780579\/"},"modified":"2026-07-04T21:58:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T21:58:09","slug":"unexpected-breakthrough-coun-saxe-credits-community-effort-to-save-sneaky-dees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/780579\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Unexpected breakthrough’: Coun. Saxe credits community effort to save Sneaky Dee’s"},"content":{"rendered":"

One day after news that Sneaky Dee\u2019s has been saved from the wrecking ball, Coun. Dianne Saxe is praising the hard work done by the community to save the iconic downtown restaurant and dive bar.<\/p>\n

The developer of a 16-storey building at the corner of Bathurst and College streets formally withdrew the proposal on Friday ahead of a July 8 meeting of the Toronto and East York Community Council, which Saxe admits was set to likely approve the application.<\/p>\n

While no reason was given in the letter as to why the application was pulled, Saxe pointed to an \u201cunexpected breakthrough\u201d two weeks ago when members of the Save Sneaky Dee\u2019s movement uncovered information suggesting that the developer did not own all five properties that were included in the development proposal.<\/p>\n

\u201cWorking together, we immediately began investigating. I requested a title search, which confirmed that the developer owned only two of the five properties identified in the application,\u201d Saxe said in a statement to CityNews on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Saxe added that when they approached the developer about this discrepancy, she was told it was an error on the application and that they had received \u201coral consent\u201d from the Royal Bank to develop the property.<\/p>\n

\u201cGiven my experience, that explanation did not seem consistent with how a major financial institution would handle real estate matters,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI contacted senior representatives at the Royal Bank directly to determine whether they had, in fact, consented to the redevelopment of their property. Their answer was clear: they had not.\u201d<\/p>\n

A letter submitted by Globe Realty Holdings Ltd<\/a>., which is a subsidiary of the Royal Bank, on Friday claimed \u201cRBC has no agreement of purchase and sale or any agreement of any kind,\u201d and that they would object to any official plan redesignation and\/or zoning amendments.<\/p>\n

A short while later, Saxe says the developer submitted a letter withdrawing the application<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis victory belongs to everyone who signed petitions, attended meetings, shared their stories, asked hard questions, and refused to let one of Toronto\u2019s most beloved music venues disappear without a fight,\u201d said Saxe.<\/p>\n

\u201cCommunity voices mattered. Community action mattered. Together, we proved that when people come together to protect the places that define our city, extraordinary things are possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\tKeep it Factual<\/p>\n

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