Save Sneaky Dee's campaign eyes delay on July 8 vote

Advocates fighting to save Toronto music venue and dive bar Sneaky Dee's from redevelopment say a potential councillor motion could delay a key vote scheduled for July 8, giving them more time to negotiate a solution that preserves the iconic spot.

Sneaky Dee's is facing a redevelopment proposal from Goldberg Group, which plans to build a 16-storey mixed-use tower with 203 residential units on the current site at 1428 King West.

Campaign organizers say University-Rosedale Coun. Dianne Saxe could move to defer the Toronto and East York Community Council vote, providing additional time for discussions between stakeholders. According to Martin Perez, a longtime Sneaky Dee's customer and organizer with the Save Sneaky Dee's campaign, Saxe has agreed to help facilitate a meeting between campaign supporters and the developer to explore alternatives that would preserve the venue.

The campaign has also received support from Councillor Chris Moise and Councillor Josh Matlow, who met supporters at the bar. "It would put us in a situation where we really hold the keys to the election. I think this Sneaky Dee's issue is going to be an election issue," Perez said.

Perez said the campaign believes there are strong alternatives that would allow Sneaky Dee's to remain at its current location. "Sneaky Dee's has fewer protections. They have no heritage protection," he said. "Our approach is to establish protections that don't even exist today, regardless of the rezoning application, so the venue can exist for as long as it wants to exist."

Goldberg Group has previously said it is committed to preserving Sneaky Dee's as part of the redevelopment, including space for the venue to return after construction. The developer also said it would work to identify a temporary location where Sneaky Dee's could operate during construction. If the Toronto and East York Community Council approves the application, it would still require final approval from Toronto City Council.