Yonge Street Flagship Store Closes
On May 29, 2007, Jason and Bobby Sniderman announced that the iconic flagship store, on Toronto's Yonge and Gould Streets, would close permanently on June 30, 2007. They stated that "their decision reflects the increasing impact of technology on the record industry." There was also increasing pressure to rent out some of the property or sell it to Ryerson University.
On May 30, 2007, supporters started a Facebook group to save the store's neon spinning record signs titled "Save the Sam's Sign!!!"; the group, and its attached online petition, garnered more than 18,000 members. On June 14, 2007, it was announced that the signage, and some of the fixtures and memorabilia from the store would be auctioned by Benaco Sales on June 27. The remaining stock had been greatly reduced to sell but was not sold at the auction sale.
However, on June 22, 2007, the Toronto city council voted in favour of designating the entire property as a heritage site, protecting the entire building, including the landmark signs. The entire building was designated because the Ontario Heritage Act has no provisions to protect store signs.
On January 18, 2008, Ryerson University acquired the property for future expansion of its nearby campus. The former Sam's store is the future location for Ryerson's Student Learning Centre; however on November 11, 2011, Ryerson's president, Sheldon Levy, stated that they may not actually affix the old Sam's sign onto the new building, and will negotiate with the city to see if a cheaper commemoration for the sign can be achieved. On October 4, 2008, the iconic neon signs were lit for the last time as part of Toronto's Nuit Blanche festivities. The removal of the signage commenced shortly after the final lighting, and by mid-March 2009 the building had been partially demolished, As of October 2012, the spot that used to house the demolished building is still empty, although preliminary work for foundation excavation of the new building has begun. The sign is now stored in an undisclosed location, with its fate still in limbo. The last remnants of the Sam the Record Man retail empire is one former franchise store that remains open in Belleville as an independent store. The Sarnia store closed in 2009.
Read more about this topic: Sam The Record Man
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