Part of a popular Toronto heritage site-turned-community events space that's been shuttered for construction for nearly two years has locals left wondering when, and even if, the site will ever actually reopen.

The buildings at Wychwood Barns, originally constructed for Toronto Civic Railways to house some of the city's first electrified streetcars in the early 1900s, spent years defunct and derelict before being reborn as an exciting new arts and culture hub more than 20 years ago.

As year-round programming continues on the property at St. Clair and Bathurst — home to a park, a farmer's market, artist live/work studios under Artscape Wychwood Barns, and more — one of the site's five eponymous structures has long been out of use, closed down by the City in 2023 for repairs.

Like many City-led projects, the timeline has been frustratingly slow for locals, who claim to have seen little to no progress on the work nearly two years in.

One concerned reader wrote to blogTO this month to complain of "scaffolding and temporary fencing that have cordoned off areas at either end of the outdoor promenade for a very long time now," saying they've witnessed no construction crews or activity ever since the protective framework first went up.

Frustrated that the space is sitting not just untouched and unusable, but also deteriorating, they added that "garbage and debris litters these areas. The weeds in these two off-limits areas have become a small forest, with some as tall as nearby trees. And there's no signage to offer any description or completion timeline."

Though the City of Toronto website does have a page dedicated to Wychwood Barns Park playground improvements, there is no information about the Barn 5 renovations readily available.

The situation seems reminiscent of another City restoration on the other side of town, which has left community members near Baycrest Park without a green space, also for about two years.

In that case, too, locals have bemoaned the lack of any work actually taking place as the park is blocked off from public use.

Speaking on the subject, a spokesperson for the City confirmed that crews decided to section off the area in summer 2023 after they found the structure was "in poor condition and that repairs and fulsome remediation work would be required."

This move was made "out of an abundance of caution to ensure public safety while the City investigated how best to design, procure, fund and implement the necessary work."

Unfortunately, these investigations have taken a lot of time, with environmental assessment processes — necessary due to the historical value of the property — only starting in 2024.

Presently, the City is apparently still trying to source a heritage consultant "to assess and provide guidance on the proposed structural remediation design to ensure it adheres to the heritage value of the building" — meaning, unfortunately, that people shouldn't get their hopes up that the area around Barn 5 will open up anytime soon.

"We're in the process of engaging an appropriate consultant to perform this very nuanced type of work and securing the appropriate permits to do so. The site continues to undergo a monthly inspection to ensure public safety, and the City will be in a better position to share a construction timeline in the coming weeks," they said.