Property could be used for future expansion of culinary building

George Brown College has purchased a building at 314 Adelaide St. E. with eyes for future expansion of the centre for hospitality and culinary arts (CHCA).

The property is across a small alleyway from the main CHCA building at 300 Adelaide St. E. and Mark Nesbitt, vice president of corporate services for George Brown College, said that buying the property opens the possibility of developing it and linking it with the existing CHCA building in the future.

“It’s really difficult for the college to expand in the downtown east, in proximity to our current buildings,” said Nesbitt. “So because this looked like the owner was motivated to sell to a condo developer we stepped in and purchased it.”

Real estate records show that the property sold in August for $3.1 million.

According to Nesbitt, there is high-demand for more baking labs at the CHCA and he estimates the new building could add up to 60,000 square feet to the St. James campus.

“There’s a strong appetite to immediately do more in the way of baking labs, there’s a huge demand for baking certificates and diplomas that we can’t meet but it requires funding and support.”