f Toronto's grand speakeasy, the Matador, closes - as it soon might - 98% of obits will read something like this: Leonard Cohen may be right. After over 40 years, College and Dovercourt's pre-dawn stalwart and Cohen-inspiration (see "Closing Time"), the Matador, may shut its doors for good.

Well, I'm not going to write that - oh, wait - damn it. I'm using occupatio to have my proverbial cake, etc.. I won't get away with it: iconoclasts can only circumvent the rules for so long.

On that note: A heavily wooded ballroom with a boots and whiskey vibe, Ann Dunn's surreptitious sip joint has drawn late-night hordes over the years, welcoming everyone from club kids to big-hat wearers and dive wanderers to celebrities. However, despite the rite-of-passage tag and storied history, the Matador's continuously more desirable location has made it a target for real estate brokers and municipal appropriation. The Toronto Star recently reported that the city has put an $800 000 offer in on the place, hoping to tear down the building and replace it with a 20-space parking lot - wow, 20 spaces. Dunn, ready to sell but not ready to trade the space for a pack of Fun Dip and a Slurpee, has turned down the bid. The city plans to counter.

Like Manolete, the Matador's days seem numbered. What will happen to the boots that line the walls? I'm a size 10. -S.T.