Great shots, but I had to do a double take on that first one. I don't know if it's the gloom or the samey townhouse blocks but that could easily be mistaken for the USSR circa 1980.
There is the Loblaws at Broadview and Danforth that is about a 2 minute drive or 15 minute walk. Granted it's not the nicest Loblaws in the world but I'd hardly say the area is a food desert with 5 grocers in the immediate area.
I love how in renderworld this building is situated next to a pristine meadow. I'm sure there are some deer frolicking just out of frame. Anyway, probably a wise move to go rental here, north facing units would be a damn hard sell.
OMG, someone else remembers Active Surplus! The giant gorilla at the front door scared the crap out of me as a kid.
On topic, the square is already filled with an insane menagerie of commercial billboards with ads that change weekly and hold no meaning to anyone. Why not add to that dissonance...
Boutique hotel could still be interesting. Preservation of the existing buildings in some form would be a boon to a hotel looking to distinguish itself.