The Velvet Underground , a Queen Street West landmark for alternative music lovers, will close its doors at the end of October, ending an era for one of Toronto’s most distinctive live music venues.

The announcement , made on the venue’s social media channels, confirmed that its lease will not be renewed and the property will be “returned to the owner for a new chapter.” The closure adds the Velvet to a growing list of Toronto clubs that have shut down in recent years, leaving what many describe as a widening gap in the city’s cultural fabric.

“It’s an integral part of the scene here, and it sucks to see it go,” one Torontonian said outside the venue.

Originally opened in the mid-1990s as a nightclub with a goth and industrial focus, the Velvet Underground underwent a significant re

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