Toronto Emerald Park Condos | 128.92m | 40s | Bazis | Rosario Varacalli

[Suiseiseki]

In light of how unsuccessful the retail space has been handled, I thought I'd requote these comedic posts to add some hope.

This condo project is looking impressive! It has truly transformed the landscape of North York and will be a defining landmark, gateway, and icon to the NYCC. This project's trademark curve, shimmering green glass, and architectural design is like no other condo project in the GTA; truly impressive and unique. This distinct project boast what few, if not any project in the GTA can hold claim to; Underground access to 2 subway lines, a full size grocery chain (METRO), a mid size food court, an LCBO, a Starbucks, Corporate offices, and retail shopping with over 50 retailers.

I don't believe there is any condo project in the GTA, including downtown Toronto that can hold claim to the full service offering being provided to condo residents at Emerald Park. This developer has really nailed on the head what it is condo residents across the GTA are looking for; location, conveniance, shopping, transit, and entertaiment.

The architectural design of these two towers is just quite simply phenomenal! Nothing like this has ever been seen to grace the skyline of Toronto with such beauty. It has been all about the details; stylish contemporary, elegant, leading-edge, avant garde, and chic. Residents will enjoy a state of the art gym with yoga and pilates, an indoor swimming pool leading on to an outdoor terrace with cabanas, a party room with pool tables and games, a bar lounge with comfortable seating and spectacular views of downtown Toronto. Suites will feature exclusive European cabinetry and for the first time ever in North York a complete Miele appliance package, only reserved for high end luxury condominiums. Miele is internationally known to have a reputation for high quality and innovation.

The developer is known to be a green builder who will bring sustainability and environmental friendly choices to this development. All suites will be highly energy efficient using the most advanced technology for energy savings which is good news for residents who are keen in keeping their hydro bills low.

Residents of Emerald Park will enjoy not only the wonderful features and amenities available to them within their own building, but also the lifestyle that surrounds them on Yonge street with shops, theatres, cultural entertainment and restaurants. Quite simply Fabulous!

The aerial photograph of Emerald Park is Breathtaking! Striking! Nothing short of just Spectacular! The shimmering green glass has added a breath of vibrant color to the monochromatic skyline of North York.

This project has developed into an icon that is creating a buzz of excitement not only on this discussion forum but also in magazines and publications across the city. The award winning design has captured the attention of developers across the city and has become one of the most talked about and highly anticipated developments in Toronto.

It features high quality windows that minimize unwanted solar gain and heat loss, high 9” ceilings, large suites ranging to 1349sq, luxury high end finishes with hardwood flooring and spa like bathrooms, a wide range of amenities, and an award winning design that has truly become a landmark that residents can hold their head up and be proud of.

 

[Bill123]

Managed to get into metro again.

There is a poster on the big food court unit by the window...perhaps another Chinese noodle store?

The hall the the subway has been mostly tiled.

 

[sunnyraytoronto]

Ok,... now compare those first 4 photos,.... of the EmeraldPark supermarket retail space,... to the photos you took 6 months ago of that same supermarket space,.... from post # 1612 from October 2015,.... some of these photos look almost identical,... 6 months later,... just that the stack of fluorescent tubes are collecting 6 more months of dust,.. but still in the exact same location,....
http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/thread...-rosario-varacalli.4829/page-108#post-1048466

What changed in 6 months,... not much! 6 months ago, there were more glasses being stored there,.... but it's still being used as a staging area,.... the folks there in the more recent photos are likely Bazis people or their contractors doing on-site design work for the plumbing that's now going into the first floor retail space or maybe even some more design work for the TTC subway entrance or the water pump for their cistern reservoir tank,.... but this doesn't seems to be a good sign,.. since it shows Bazis folks using the supermarket retail space for construction staging, storage, and on-site design work,.... to me, it seems like that second floor supermarket retail space hasn't been released to Metro (I believe it was supposed to be delivered to Metro last Fall in November),... thus, Metro hasn't accepted ownership of it for whatever reason (late or bailing),.... basically, it's still Bazis property so they'll continue to use it for construction staging, storage and on-site design work,....

 

[Bill123]

What i notice is that they have drilled into the concrete and put a lot of sewage piping. They are everywhere. I'd say Bazis won't be doing this if the Metro bailed. Bazis is probably smart enough to include a clause where they would only go through such expensive plumbing if Metro couldn't bail. I'd say only after plumbing is done by TMG will the Metro team move in and finish the job. The LCBO completed much faster since they didn't need as much plumbing.

And if you look closely you can also see stacks of drywall at the back. There are also these long tubes which look like rolls of brown paper. Only use i could think of the paper is to prevent paint getting on the floor.

Edit: i looked back some more at my previous pics and the sewage piping was already there 6 months ago...my bad

 

[sunnyraytoronto]

I've always assumed the delivery date for the supermarket space to Metro was last November. As far, as I could remember all the prior year's delivery date was also for November,.... 2011, 2013, 2014,... and then developer kept asking for extensions. Anyways, if developer can't deliver by delivery date, the buyer (Metro) has right to bail without penalty since it's developer's fault. Was the developer able to deliver an acceptable product to Metro by the delivery date? Does that include plumbing?

And the same thing is happening in first floor retail level,.... EmeraldPark developer delivered 1st floor PacificMall type cubical stores to owners about 6 months ago,.... but it didn't include the plumbing,... so EmeraldPark developer is now tearing up new walls and new ceilings of 1st floor retail space to put in plumbing now!

Basically, if I brought a residential condo and the developer didn't put in the plumbing by my delivery (closing) date,... I'd be pretty pissed - literally! What am I supposed to do? Piss off the balcony??? Then 6 months after I moved in, the developer show up to tear up my walls and ceilings to put in plumbing?,... I'd be like WTF,... but that's what's happening at EmeraldPark 1st floor retail space now!

To put in the plumbing after everything else have been completed shows the developer messed up,... they either tried to cut corners or are totally incompetent or lacked the proper permits or are being forced to now due to building codes,....

The difference between Metro and the first floor PacificMall retail cubicle type store owners,... is Metro is looking to get out,... any reason to get out,....

 

[Bill123]

Apparently the new foodcourt restaurant is not another rice noodle store. It is something called Malatang.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malatang

It's basically hotpot but with skewers. Wonder how they will pull it off, maybe they boil it before serving which really isn't proper Malatang.

Update: LCBO guys came today and they are talking about putting a sign near the food court. Could this mean that Metro and LCBO are independent of each other management-wise?

 

[sunnyraytoronto]

Noticed some work being done on subway entrance,... seems like dry wall and wiring.

Think of LCBO like McDonald's,... they have their own design-renovation guys to build a McDonald store anywhere,.... regardless if it's corporate owned store or independently owned franchise store,... the end customer shouldn't be able to tell,... everything about them should all be the same.

That Malatang restaurant got the northwest corner store,... I was hoping that would be a Stinky ToFu place since it's right by 3 huge vent exhaust fans.

 

[Bill123]

I never realized it before but some of those residential units are quite close to the exhaust vents. A nice south breeze could blow whatever the food court units are cooking right into their living rooms during the summer.
Some updates:
The yuki hana sushi has started up renos again. The mexican restaurant is going up real fast, they are doing cabinets now. Nanashake is beginning to have 5-10 people a day on weekdays and much more it seems during the weekends. Nutrition supplement store coming soon near escalators. The other drycleaners is looking to start tiling soon. Theres word of a nail salon coming and an unknown business type has rented the smallest unit.

 

[Uncle Meat]

I thought I'd ask LCBO directly. Got this response:

Although the actual building may be finished, the LCBO still has to construct the interior of the store and leasing agreements are still being finalized. .According to our retail and construction coordinator, they expect the location to be open by mid to late summer, and there is no official opening date that has been released yet. The LCBO will always release an opening date to the public via an official announcement, and will open the store once our retail management has approved all budgets and our human resouces team has finished all staff training.

I thought the interior was already done last summer, but anyway...

 

[sunnyraytoronto]

I thought I'd ask LCBO directly. Got this response:

Although the actual building may be finished, the LCBO still has to construct the interior of the store and leasing agreements are still being finalized. .According to our retail and construction coordinator, they expect the location to be open by mid to late summer, and there is no official opening date that has been released yet. The LCBO will always release an opening date to the public via an official announcement, and will open the store once our retail management has approved all budgets and our human resouces team has finished all staff training.

I thought the interior was already done last summer, but anyway...

That LCBO person was probably sampling too much of the merchandise! ;p

Here's a post from a year ago (Apr 21, 2015): Drum118 reporting "Looking at the buildings on Sat, LBCO going in on the 3rd floor with shelving going up for it now."
http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/thread...s-rosario-varacalli.4829/page-103#post-993078

Shelving is basically the last thing to go in,.... here's more recent photo of LBCO,... shelving and everything all done,.. been done for a year already! Maybe we should also celebrate the one year anniversary of that "LCBO Opening Soon" sign,... I would if I had some booze!!! ;p

BTW,.... each one of those 10 Yonge frontage stores on the first floor of EmeraldPark cost about $1 million each,.... and the 2nd floor LCBO sits directly above them,... what's that LCBO store worth? $5-10million??? And it's been finished for a year with nothing to do,....

As you can see from the above photos,... all this LCBO store need are cash register, stock and new deadbolt lock on service door,.... depending on which order these are put in, I could be hosting one heck of a neighbourhood block party! And then bee off to a nice long vacation!


Here's what I posted just after Canada Day last year,.....
"Retail not finish yet, latest promise date is July 13 but that's already 6th delay,... It will NOT be ready by that date,... more likely another 2-3 months for retail,... so sometimes in September for retail opening. LCBO originally supposed to open in early Spring,... LCBO is finish,.... just needs stock,... and need to finish mall passage from first floor to 2nd floor where LCBO is. Most folks in neighbourhood is excited about LCBO opening,... not so much Metro,.... ;p"
http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/thread...-rosario-varacalli.4829/page-104#post-1015947

Now they're ripping up new ceiling and walls on first floor retail level in order to put in water supply and drainage pipes,....

 

[Bill123]

It seems that they are finished with the retail plumbing. Now there is just drywall to put up again. Every space in the wall you see there takes a person 1 day to fix. They seem to have moved the plumbers to the second floor.

Whats surprising to me is that LCBO would go about their renovations without a lease agreement. However they have Crown corp money which they could afford to just throw around I guess.

Still have not received call or letters on final closing lol. Bazis might have done it again.

 

[sunnyraytoronto]

In 2012, Loblaws T&T bailed and Metro came in with a market station concept,... LCBO was to be operated by Metro,.... Metro brought the entire 2nd floor of EmeraldPark. When WholeFoodsMarket opened across the street at HullmarkCentre in Sept 2014, Metro saw WholeFoodsMarket wasn't doing as well,.... and realize splitting half a crappy market was still a crappy deal,... so Metro looked for a way out of EmeraldPark by having their Adonis (Persian) subsidiary taking over,.... thus, no problem with continuing to put in their LCBO store,.... which was basically completed last year. Later Adonis rejected EmeraldPark as well,...

Question of LCBO leasing agreement needing to be completed now is odd,.... who is LCBO leasing from??? Maybe leasing from Metro if Metro is still stuck with it or Maybe leasing from EmeraldPark if Metro managed to get out,.... the same plumbers contracted by EmeraldPark being assigned to work on 2nd floor supermarket retail level shows it likely wasn't completed on time (Fall 2015 delivery),... thus Metro probably used the late delivery as a way out,... and thus didn't have to pay a penalty to walk away.

 

[Bill123]

Whats weird is TMG putting all that specific plumbing in there when Metro likely bailed. My best guess is that Bazis contracted TMG to do the whole job back several years ago. Metro might have bailed but Bazis might be still stuck with the TMG contract. Metro's people come sometimes to the site though and talk with the workers.

Forgot to add that for some reason they blocked the escalators again. Someone is working on the glass fencing on the top of the escalator. Last time I was up there I saw two large electrical wires coming out of the escalator. Perhaps it was work being done on the escalator.

Also they turned off the vents and water today. Without the vents going you can really feel how quiet the mall is.

 

[Uncle Meat]

I recall growing up behind the iron curtain watching how new development was sprouting up all around my apartment block. It would take about 5 years for a mall to get built, for example. Poor build quality aside, everyone at the time blamed the glacial pace associated with each development on the inefficiencies of a centrally planned economy. When I observe what is going on at Emerald Park, I am blown away at the similarities. Multiple delays, lack of coordination, quality issues, etc. Lack of accountability by the regulators, the public transit agency and the crown corporation combined with incompetence and indifference on part of the developer. By the latter, I mean that the costs of botching up the development are too immaterial for the developer to care. Anyway, I am not saying that all things are nearly as bad as they used to be under communist rule. I am just saying that notwithstanding other factors, lack of accountability is always the core reason for someone f*cking things up and this development is a shining example of that.

 

[Bill123]

We received great news today. Some builder representative came to the mall today to check up on progress. Spoke to him and he said Metro and LCBO are 100% coming. They just need to finish up, close up and get out of there then afterwards Metro and LCBO will move in. They will not open at the same time however. LCBO will come first within 2 months, they are currently finalizing paperwork. Metro will take longer to come in.