Toronto's iconic Flatiron Building is completely hidden right now
Jack Landau
created: April 14, 2025, 1:07 p.m. | updated: April 14, 2025, 9:01 p.m.
<img class="webfeedsFeaturedVisual" src="https://display.blogto.com/articles/20250414-gooderham-building-toronto-renovations-0.jpg?w=1200&cmd=resize_then_crop&height=630&quality=70" width="100%" /><p>Tourists, be warned: photos of Toronto's iconic Gooderham Building (better known as the Flatiron Building) are not possible right now due to renovations.</p><p>A trip to Toronto isn't complete without photos of all the familiar landmarks like the CN Tower and the Gooderham Building, but that travel album might be lacking for anyone currently touring around town.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.blogto.com/city/2011/01/nostalgia_tripping_the_flatiron_building/">133-year-old edifice</a> at 49 Wellington Street East is currently ensconced in a scaffold and green netting as of April 2025, as many disappointed tourists are learning upon arriving at the oft-photographed heritage building.</p><p><img alt="gooderham building flatiron renovations toronto" id="content-image-116241" src="https://display.blogto.com/uploads/2025/04/14/1744635648-20250414-gooderham-building-toronto-renovations.jpg?w=1400&cmd=resize&quality=70" width="100%" /></p><p>While it's a bit of a bummer for visitors trying to get a glimpse of all the city's best-known landmarks, the temporary inconvenience will help keep the structure looking beautiful for years to come.</p><p>Last month, the official account of the Old Town Toronto and St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood BIA <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DHMxbnbOvX0/">took to Instagram</a> to share that "the iconic Gooderham Building (aka #flatirontoronto) is all wrapped up while undergoing some cosmetic renovations."</p><p>"Rest assured, all businesses here are still in operation, including <a href="https://www.blogto.com/restaurants/flatiron-firkin-toronto/">The Flatiron and Firkin</a>."</p><blockquote class="instagram-media"><div style="padding: 16px;"><div style="display: flex;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div><div style="display: flex;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div><div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DHMxbnbOvX0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"></a></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"><div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DHMxbnbOvX0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div><div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div><div> </div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div></div></div><div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 24px;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div></div><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DHMxbnbOvX0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Old Town Toronto (@oldtowntoronto)</a></p></div></blockquote><p>Completely disregarding the first half of its statement and the current appearance of the building, the BIA then urged people to "post your flatiron pics." </p><p>Well, okay. If you insist.</p><p><img alt="gooderham building flatiron renovations toronto" id="content-image-116240" src="https://display.blogto.com/uploads/2025/04/14/1744635648-20250414-gooderham-building-toronto-renovations-1.jpg?w=1400&cmd=resize&quality=70" width="100%" /></p><p>It's just the latest visual change — albeit a temporary one — for the Gooderham Building, and it's now been years since it was possible to capture an unobstructed photograph of the 1892-built structure.</p><p>Before the current renovations, the most recent change came in 2022, when <a href="https://www.blogto.com/city/2022/09/toronto-most-landmark-less-photographable/">large poles were erected around it</a>. </p><p>At that time, the City of Toronto stated that the poles were installed as part of "a series of critical infrastructure upgrades" on Wellington Street East from Yonge Street to Church Street, and Front Street East from <a href="https://www.blogto.com/city/2020/11/toronto-dog-fountain-hidden-detail-cats-birds/">Berczy Park</a> to<a href="https://www.blogto.com/city/2024/06/street-downtown-toronto-banning-cars-summer/"> Market Street</a>.</p><p>"The City of Toronto and TTC have coordinated upgrades to the area's streetcar tracks and overhead wires with improvements to the streetscape, street lighting and traffic signals."</p><p>However, approaching three years later, those poles remain — and have been joined by the equally unsightly scaffold that appeared earlier this year.</p><p>Luckily, there's a brand-new landmark just steps to the east in the <a href="https://www.blogto.com/city/2025/04/price-tag-torontos-futuristic-new-market-building-200-million/">new St. Lawrence Market North building</a>.</p>
2 months ago: blogTO