ABOUT US

Youngplace nurtures creativity, learning, and collaboration through innovative programs, experiences and events in an inspiring, social environment in order to strengthen and grow our community.

Two people on a city sidewalk beside a brick building, bicycles, and a street sign at an intersection.

Community Vision

This is the story of how it came to be, with the input of the community.

The building of Youngplace was, for most of its history, a public school. In 2000, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) shut down the school at 180 Shaw Street and transferred the school’s operations to the neighbouring Givins/Shaw Public School. The building sat empty until 2006, when the Toronto District School Board hired Artscape to conduct a feasibility study of its potential reuse. This study, which included extensive community consultation, demonstrated strong community support for re-purposing the site as community cultural hub. It indicated that cultural assets, heritage preservation, environmental leadership, educational programming and community partnerships could be brought together in a unique way to transform the Shaw building into a dynamic hub of creative activity and learning.


After the feasibility study process, Artscape began a series of consultations that engaged a broad range of community stakeholders to generate a new vision for the building that integrated creativity, community and learning. Five focus groups held between 2006 and 2007 made up a large part of this consultation phase. In these focus groups, participants discussed the overall study process as well as their perceptions of priorities, opportunities, challenges and concerns with the building’s potential re-purposing.


In December 2010, Artscape concluded its purchase of the Shaw Street School from the TDSB and the Toronto Lands Corporation.

The Founding Vision for Youngplace was based on the following shared themes developed through the consultation process:

The re-developed Shaw Street School will be a place where...


  • A passion for learning is fuelled by arts and culture
  • Ideas are cultivated through commitment to openness, diversity and tolerance
  • Connectivity fostered through a strong sense of community interaction
  • Environmental stewardship is encouraged through innovative design and operations
  • Identity is reflective of the Queen West artistic ethos

These characteristics will be nurtured through a program of spaces that...


  • Facilitates collaborartion, experiementation and cross-pollination
  • Respect and enhance the heritage integrity of the building
  • Are shared, safe, accessible and inspiring
  • Respect the flexibility required for the creative process
  • Generate opportunities for community engagement

Today, the building, Youngplace, operates as a commercial condominium, legally owned by Toronto Standard Condominium Corporation No. 2397 (“TSCC 2397”, carrying on business as “Youngplace”). TSCC 2397 is governed by a Board of Directors, composed of owners and other equity stakeholders, each of whom owns a percentage interest in the property. ArtHubs Toronto Inc., under contract with TSCC 2397, is the condo property manager for the building and oversees and delivers the physical property maintenance and upkeep. To support the community vision for the building, ArtHubs facilitates community programming through the hallway galleries and material library programs.

Flowing white dress billowing in a sunlit desert canyon as a person raises both arms

Land Acknowledgement

Youngplace acknowledges Toronto as a sacred gathering place for many Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island. We recognize the long history of First Nations and Métis Peoples in Ontario, and show respect today to the Mississaugas of New Credit.