Demolition has officially begun on a former Toronto soy sauce factory that locals tried to have designated as a heritage building.

Originally built in 1920, the now-abandoned Lee Food Products LTD. factory at 77 Leslie has become a significant point of contention in the community and beyond since the food company quietly pulled out of the location in 2020.

Prior to Lee taking over the building in 1947, the property was a two-storey mixed-use residential and commercial building, featuring apartments and a billiards room.

For the over 70 years that followed, the building produced what could quite possibly have been Canada's most popular Chinese food brand, including China Lily Soy Sauce, for which the building touted a now-iconic sign.

In 2021, the property was purchased by Core Development Group, and a proposal went out for the building to be redeveloped into a mixed-use residential and commercial space.

A rendering shows the proposed redevelopment of the old Lee Foods property. Image by Studio JCI.

Renderings of the proposed development show the building at the southeast corner of Leslie and Queen expanding to nine storeys, featuring 145 residential and commercial units and a green roof.

As of now, the building, for which construction has recently started, will only house rental units, no condos, adding yet another new housing options in Leslieville.

Despite the increase in the number of rentals the new building would provide, not everyone is pleased with the decision to redevelop the building.

Back in 2022, there was a grassroots effort to score the building a heritage designation, like its neighbour across the street, The Duke.

Early construction has begun on the project. Photo by Phoebe Knight.

Alas, the efforts were to little avail, that the entire second storey of the east building has been stripped back to its iron beams.

Reactions thus far have been mixed, with some praising the addition of new housing units in the community, while others bemoan the loss of a building that holds such historic significance.

There's no word yet on when construction on the new building at Queen and Leslie will be completed.