A petition to preserve the domed building that was once home to the McLaughlin Planetarium has garnered more than 1,800 signatures.
The planetarium was shut down due to budgetary constraints in 1995, and was then purchased by the University of Toronto in 2009. Now, it is slated for demolition to make room for a Jewish museum, a 250-seat performance hall, and academic facilities for the University of Toronto.
According to the Change.org petition, the Queen's Park Crescent building is an "architectural icon" that should be preserved.
"The McLaughlin Planetarium building represents one of the most original and culturally significant works of mid-century modernist architecture."
Plans for the new cultural complex were announced last month. The University of Toronto vice-president of operations said that the school had entered into an agreement with local philanthropists Isadore and Rosalie Sharp to raise funds for the building.
"U of T has the opportunity to do something truly spectacular… on this specific site," Scott Mabury said in September. "This is a truly iconic site with phenomenal potential given its location in that particular precinct."
Mabury said plans to build the new museum and performance hall started coming together approximately six months ago. While the project is still in its early stages, the Mabury says the new building could ultimately be as high as 13-storeys tall.
Isadore Sharp, the founder of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, has previously said it could cost approximately $150 million to build and operate the new facility. He said a $65-million endowment fund will also be set aside to ensure the successful operation of the museum once it opens.
