460 King Street West will
not be the address for Toronto's newest condo complex.
Once home to Global Village Backpackers, the building stood empty for several months after the hostel's closure in 2014. That is until two weeks ago when the Konrad Group, a Toronto-based digital consultancy firm, announced that it had acquired the building and unveiled a plan to turn the historic corner into Canada's newest innovation hub.
According to co-CEO Geordie Konrad, the company has a multifaceted plan for the space. First and foremost, 460 King Street West will be the new home of BrainStation,
the coding academy Konrad Group purchased last winter.
Secondly, part of the building will also serve as a new co-working and event space called BrainStation Spaces.
Lastly, a new coffee shop called
Quantum Coffee will call the building home once renovations are completed. Like everything else associated with this project, Quantum Coffee will have a technology bent. For instance, instead of waiting on a barista to serve their coffee, customers will be able to use their smartphone to take advantage of Canada's first app-enabled pour over machine.
Konrad says it was important for him and his colleagues that the whole building have a unique identity.
"I think had we put a different, more corporate coffee chain there, the impact of the building would be completely different," he says. "By operating our own coffee shop, we're able to create a product that people in the King West technology sector are interested in."
"For us, we want this building to be an asset to the community," says Konrad. "We want this to be a place where people can come to take part in events, workshops and get connected with one another. We're a part of this community too, so we want to make sure that what ends up on the corner of King and Spadina is something that we're all proud of."