Chestnut Residence
Encyclopedia
89 Chestnut Residence is a university residence operated by the University of Toronto
, opposite the Metropolitan Hotel on Chestnut Street. Known as "The Nut" by its student residents, it was converted from the Colony Hotel in 2004 and turned into a student residence to accommodate the incoming double cohort in 2003 and 2004. It is located in downtown Toronto
, just north of Toronto City Hall
and near Nathan Philips Square.
The building was originally constructed as a Holiday Inn
. When it opened in 1972 it was the fourth largest hotel in the city, with 749 rooms. It cost some $18 million to build and was built on the site of many small buildings of what was then the centre of Toronto's Chinatown
. The hotel was purchased by Hong Kong investor Sally Aw
for $73 million in 1989 and renamed the Colony Hotel. After Aw ran into financial difficulties the university purchased the hotel for $72 million in 2003, at the height of a downturn in Toronto's hotel industry.
Prior to buying the hotel the University of Toronto had rented space to house 400 students at the Primrose Hotel at Jarvis and Carlton.
It has nearly 1000 residents from the University of Toronto, OCAD, George Brown College
and Ryerson University
. However, as of September, 2008, the residence no longer accepts new applicants attending George Brown and Ryerson. Returning students from these institutions may continue to apply. Its postal code is M5G 1R1; it is located on 89 Chestnut Street. It has a conference centre and a revolving room on the 28th floor. It is the most expensive residence of all University of Toronto residences and has a reputation of providing luxurious accommodation and food. The university retained the hotel chef after purchasing it. Chestnut is also home to a larger number of international students than any other residence.
The Chestnut Residence Council is the student governing body for social, athletic and community affairs of the Residence. It organizes activities such as: the annual Chestnut semi-formal, coffee houses and open mic nights, ski and snowboarding trips, and intramural sports tournaments.
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, opposite the Metropolitan Hotel on Chestnut Street. Known as "The Nut" by its student residents, it was converted from the Colony Hotel in 2004 and turned into a student residence to accommodate the incoming double cohort in 2003 and 2004. It is located in downtown Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, just north of Toronto City Hall
Toronto City Hall
The City Hall of Toronto, Ontario, Canada is the home of the city's municipal government and one of its most distinctive landmarks. Designed by Finnish architect Viljo Revell and landscape architect Richard Strong, and engineered by Hannskarl Bandel, the building opened in 1965...
and near Nathan Philips Square.
The building was originally constructed as a Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn is a brand of hotels, formally a economy motel chain, forming part of the British InterContinental Hotels Group . It is one of the world's largest hotel chains with 238,440 bedrooms and 1,301 hotels globally. There are currently 5 hotels in the pipeline...
. When it opened in 1972 it was the fourth largest hotel in the city, with 749 rooms. It cost some $18 million to build and was built on the site of many small buildings of what was then the centre of Toronto's Chinatown
Chinatown, Toronto
Chinatown is an ethnic enclave in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with a high concentration of ethnic Chinese residents and businesses extending along Dundas Street West and Spadina Avenue. First developed in the late 19th century, it is now one of the largest Chinatowns in North America and...
. The hotel was purchased by Hong Kong investor Sally Aw
Sally Aw
Sally Aw Sian, OBE. DStJ, JP is a Hong Kong businesswoman and adopted daughter of Chinese entrepreneur Aw Boon Haw.In 1931, Aw Boon Haw and the second of his four wives adopted the five-year-old daughter of a distant relative from Burma, changing the girl's name from She Moi to Sian...
for $73 million in 1989 and renamed the Colony Hotel. After Aw ran into financial difficulties the university purchased the hotel for $72 million in 2003, at the height of a downturn in Toronto's hotel industry.
Prior to buying the hotel the University of Toronto had rented space to house 400 students at the Primrose Hotel at Jarvis and Carlton.
It has nearly 1000 residents from the University of Toronto, OCAD, George Brown College
George Brown College
George Brown College is a public, fully accredited college of applied arts and technology with three full campuses in downtown Toronto, Ontario...
and Ryerson University
Ryerson University
Ryerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its urban campus is adjacent to Yonge-Dundas Square located at the busiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. The majority of its buildings are in the blocks northeast of the square in Toronto's Garden...
. However, as of September, 2008, the residence no longer accepts new applicants attending George Brown and Ryerson. Returning students from these institutions may continue to apply. Its postal code is M5G 1R1; it is located on 89 Chestnut Street. It has a conference centre and a revolving room on the 28th floor. It is the most expensive residence of all University of Toronto residences and has a reputation of providing luxurious accommodation and food. The university retained the hotel chef after purchasing it. Chestnut is also home to a larger number of international students than any other residence.
The Chestnut Residence Council is the student governing body for social, athletic and community affairs of the Residence. It organizes activities such as: the annual Chestnut semi-formal, coffee houses and open mic nights, ski and snowboarding trips, and intramural sports tournaments.