The iconic Nash Jewellers store in Dundas St. will soon be shutting down, making way for a "musical incubator" in the downtown core.
The Nash family has been running its business out of that store for 97 years, but Colin Nash says when he and his neighbours, the Manuel family discussed their plans for the space he decided it was time to move on.
"I'll tell you, we would have never of done what we're doing now if we didn't have the new buyer. I would never have let this property sit vacant for the next five years," Nash tells BlackburnNews.com. "They want to take the cases, retain the floor of Nash as much as possible so our heritage, our legacy, our history, it stays in tact."
182 Dundas St. is right next to the London Music Hall and the venues share doors on the upper level.
The city says the new project is "proposed to create a collective centralized resource for the commercial music sector." The goal is to establish a London music hall of fame, offer workshops, host networking functions and other classes.
"From a tourism perspective there's massive opportunity to grow in that area," says Tourism London's Director of Culture and Entertainment Tourism Chris Campbell.
The city will be hiring a "Music Industry Development Officer" for a two year term to help develop London's music strategy and make it a go-to place for musicians and those who love live music, arts and culture.