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File photo of Toronto's new and old City Hall in 1964.

Toronto's Old City Hall likely to serve as courthouse until 2021

Toronto's former city hall will likely serve as a courthouse for an additional five years as city council considers extending the province's lease until a new downtown facility is built.

A report presented to the city's government management committee earlier this week recommends stretching the lease to Dec. 31, 2021.

City council is expected to approve the extension at its Nov. 3 meeting. The move would include a rent increase of nearly $43,000 per year.

What to do with the building — which was designated a national historic site in 1984 — once the courts move out is also up for consideration.

The report suggested the "best use" for the building once its current tenants move out would be "a retail centre that contains a mix of food service, leisure, event and civic uses."

But the committee voted to study the possibility of turning the site into a museum chronicling the city's history before looking into other tenant options.

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