What to know
- Filmores Gentlemen’s Club, a downtown Toronto landmark for 45 years, is closing at 212 Dundas St. due to property redevelopment.
- The building was sold to developers during the pandemic, who now plan on building rental units starting in Spring 2026.
- Club owners say this isn’t permanent and are actively searching for a new downtown location to continue operations.
It’s the end of an era for a popular strip club, thanks to a very common situation in Toronto: redevelopment.
Filmores Gentlemen’s Club, located downtown on Dundas St. E, near Jarvis St., is one of Toronto’s most well-loved strip clubs. Serving the Toronto community for more than 45 years, the club has been the site of everything from bachelor parties to COVID vaccine clinics. But now, the iconic spot is closing its doors after being sold to developers during the pandemic.
The property Filmores is located on was sold back in 2020, while Toronto’s real estate market was booming, with plans to build condos on the site. But, with Toronto’s condo market currently struggling, the club’s president, Howard Adams, says that developers have been waiting for market conditions to return, and are now pivoting to building rental units, starting in Spring 2026.
But, Howard says, this is goodbye for now, not forever.
“While we are closing at 212, we are looking for a new home, somewhere downtown, proximate to the downtown sports venues, hotels and convention facilities. We will continue to search for a suitable new home,” Adams told Now Toronto in a statement, adding that people should feel free to reach out if they know of a good spot for the club’s new home.
The club was purchased by developer Menkes for $31.5 million, while the adjacent parking lot was bought for a cool $20 million.
The club was first built as an apartment complex in the late 1800s, before turning into an upscale hotel in 1915. Filmores Gentleman’s Club then took over the space in the 1980s, and it was designated as a Heritage Site in 2016, meaning redevelopments will require approval from city officials.
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Filmores is open until the end of January, so if you want to check it out, you still have some time.
Plus, the club is having a liquidation auction in February, where attendees will have the opportunity to bid on different artifacts from the past 45 years of Filmores.
THE END OF AN ERA
Online, many former patrons of the club, and even a few dancers, have shared their disappointment that the 212 Dundas St. location is closing at the end of the month.
“The industry in Canada is dead. I miss what it was,” one Instagram user commented. “I [made] and designed dancer clothes for decades.”
“Tragedy. Some incredible memories in there, both as a client and with the Scandelles doing our fundraisers,” another wrote.
“Props to the entire family who ran this and made it a landmark for years and years.”
“Another iconic landmark in the city gone.”
“Damn, end of an era.”
REVITALIZATION OF THE AREA
But Toronto City Councillor Chris Moise sees the redevelopment as a good thing.
“For more than 40 years, the stretch of Dundas East between Jarvis and Sherbourne has been widely regarded as one of the least safe in all of downtown Toronto, and the redevelopment of Filmores is another big step forward in the revitalization of that area,” Moise said in a statement to Now Toronto.
Moise says that over the past decade, Dundas East and Jarvis have become increasingly vibrant as the area has undergone redevelopment.
“Redevelopment has also brought more and more small and local businesses into the area, including retail, banking, and hospitality,” Moise said, adding that he expects to see the trend continue.
The councillor says that the redevelopment of Filmores will keep the heritage exterior and character of that building, while adding a tower that includes more housing, including some affordable housing units.
“As the Councillor for Toronto Centre, one of my highest priorities has been to ensure the construction of more affordable housing, including affordable units in new developments, as well as financial supports for any tenants displaced by redevelopment projects,” he added, explaining that he has also worked with development applicants to ensure that new developments add to the quality and character to downtown neighbourhoods.
Moise says that the revitalization of George St. will begin next year, and is set to include a revitalized emergency shelter, health and social services hub, transitional housing, and affordable housing units.
