Toronto Eaton Centre (Ongoing Renewal) | ?m | ?s | Cadillac Fairview | Zeidler

[TossYourJacket]

The two units next to this have been redemised into one. It's under active construction, looked it may have a tenant.

I'm pretty sure it's RW&Co. The store they set up in the Banana Republic location has always has signs that it's a pop-up and I noticed that while their "we've moved" signage originally just covered their store, it now covers the former Armani Exchange space. Plus last year they updated their branding to include the slightly revised logo and the new blue colour, and apparently that is going to involve a new store design. So I'd say all signs point to it being them just shifting their store over since they lost a chunk of the old store to the new hallway.

 

[nightstreak]

I'm pretty sure it's RW&Co. The store they set up in the Banana Republic location has always has signs that it's a pop-up and I noticed that while their "we've moved" signage originally just covered their store, it now covers the former Armani Exchange space. Plus last year they updated their branding to include the slightly revised logo and the new blue colour, and apparently that is going to involve a new store design. So I'd say all signs point to it being them just shifting their store over since they lost a chunk of the old store to the new hallway.

I think you're right. RW&CO's existing (popup) location is 7,055 square feet, about exactly the size of the consolidated space next to the corridor. Kind of a boring retailer for such a prominent spot but better than it being empty all this time.

I've been imagining a store of Apple's caliber, maybe Sephora, taking up 2 Queen West with a presence at the corner of Queen and Yonge, then merged with this new unit opening up into the mall.

 

[TossYourJacket]

I think you're right. RW&CO's existing (popup) location is 7,055 square feet, about exactly the size of the consolidated space next to the corridor. Kind of a boring retailer for such a prominent spot but better than it being empty all this time.

I've been imagining a store of Apple's caliber, maybe Sephora, taking up 2 Queen West with a presence at the corner of Queen and Yonge, then merged with this new unit opening up into the mall.

View attachment 710802

Agreed, Sephora anywhere along the Yonge frontage would be ideal. They're one of the few brands who really seem to love having both exterior and interior entrances to malls. Meanwhile at TEC they're up on the second floor (in a part where that isn't ground level) for some reason.

Ideally, something (I'd love for it to be Apple but it wont happen) could take over 2 Queen West and then pass through into former Frank and Oak space, (assuming they can structurally put in a passthrough there), it would be a shame to have 2 Queen W totally cut off from the rest of the mall, unless it were to become a restaurant or something.

 

[nightstreak]

Agreed, Sephora anywhere along the Yonge frontage would be ideal. They're one of the few brands who really seem to love having both exterior and interior entrances to malls. Meanwhile at TEC they're up on the second floor (in a part where that isn't ground level) for some reason.

Ideally, something (I'd love for it to be Apple but it wont happen) could take over 2 Queen West and then pass through into former Frank and Oak space, (assuming they can structurally put in a passthrough there), it would be a shame to have 2 Queen W totally cut off from the rest of the mall, unless it were to become a restaurant or something.

The walls may or may not be structural but they're no longer important to 2 Queen West which was rebuilt as a standalone iron structure. I could see this space connected to the mall if CF wanted to do the work to reinforce the walls to add openings.

The more I think of it, Sephora is the perfect anchor tenant for that corner. They've definitely outgrown their current space. It's always a mad zoo in there. Sitting at the corner of Yonge and Queen would reinvigorate the intersection and provide walk through traffic to the mall. I don't think Apple would want a non-contiguous space, they tend to like open boxes.

 

[nightstreak]

I think you're right. RW&CO's existing (popup) location is 7,055 square feet, about exactly the size of the consolidated space next to the corridor. Kind of a boring retailer for such a prominent spot but better than it being empty all this time.

I've been imagining a store of Apple's caliber, maybe Sephora, taking up 2 Queen West with a presence at the corner of Queen and Yonge, then merged with this new unit opening up into the mall.

View attachment 710802

Following up on this @TossYourJacket . It turns out the RW&Co at the top of the map near Apple is their permanent location. There’s a sign on the construction hoarding in the vacant spot showing that that’s where they moved to. The spot on the lower corner is being consolidated into one. I would guess this is going to be reserved for a flagship store of some kind.

Also wanted to mention this:

Nike’s flagship store still has patched up façade 3 months after they opened. How difficult could it be to source vinyl to cover up the lower half of their façade? I’m surprised heads haven’t rolled over this.

 

[picard102]

I don't even see what you're talking about...

 

[nightstreak]

I don't even see what you're talking about...

They originally clad both upper and lower parts of the glass in this fluted film.

But shortly before opening, it appears that they noticed that you could see the frame under the glass so they removed it, I suppose with the intention of using a more opaque film but then ended up proceeding to the grand opening with the bare glass and the full view of the frame underneath. Then over weeks they applied different samples of vinyl covering in varying degrees of reflectivity.

and then just left it like that for the last 3 months.

 

[nightstreak]

I asked around and got a little bit more insight into what's happening here:

It turns out that none of these are desirable spaces, as one would think given their prominent locations, all for different reasons. This explains why they've been vacant or in transition for so long.

Blue and Red are too close to the entrance. People tend to take an industry calculated number of steps into a mall before visiting the first store. And when they're leaving the mall they're leaving the mall. They could work as anchor spaces but the mall wants them deeper in so customers get pulled in and the anchor functions as a feeder for other stores with less gravity.

Blue typically has a little more value given its street presence but it is at an entrance surrounded by construction hoarding for the next several years.

Green suffers from a similar detractor. Even though it's facing Yonge, the corner is a muddy mess that people tend to want to clear as fast as possible. Not being connected to the mall directly limits the use as an anchor space.

Consolidating red and green solves the mall connection problem and my source believes that this is what's being done with the construction and redemising occurring right now.

They think it's being looked at for hospitality. It acts as an attraction and diners often have time before a reservation or after eating to explore the mall. They're also certain the new entrance and corridor are permanent. The corridor breaks up "food" from "clothes". You don't typically want a restaurant directly next to a fashion store. I mentioned Zara and Merchatto before realizing that the Zara entrance is as far away as possible from the Merchatto entrance, separated by an expanse of opaque glass walls and hidden behind an escalator — Merchatto is also directly next to a mall entrance.

The blue space is likely going to continue as popups throughout the remainder of the Ontario Line construction period. She thinks that it'll end up becoming a street side café or bakery while the red/green is sit down fine dining. The latter would open as soon as this Summer if negotiations are already underway as they seem to be if the container is being prepared for a tenant.

 

[mburrrrr]

I asked around and got a little bit more insight into what's happening here:


View attachment 711338

It turns out that none of these are desirable spaces, as one would think given their prominent locations, all for different reasons. This explains why they've been vacant or in transition for so long.

Blue and Red are too close to the entrance. People tend to take an industry calculated number of steps into a mall before visiting the first store. And when they're leaving the mall they're leaving the mall. They could work as anchor spaces but the mall wants them deeper in so customers get pulled in and the anchor functions as a feeder for other stores with less gravity.

Blue typically has a little more value given its street presence but it is at an entrance surrounded by construction hoarding for the next several years.

Green suffers from a similar detractor. Even though it's facing Yonge, the corner is a muddy mess that people tend to want to clear as fast as possible. Not being connected to the mall directly limits the use as an anchor space.

Consolidating red and green solves the mall connection problem and my source believes that this is what's being done with the construction and redemising occurring right now.

They think it's being looked at for hospitality. It acts as an attraction and diners often have time before a reservation or after eating to explore the mall. They're also certain the new entrance and corridor are permanent. The corridor breaks up "food" from "clothes". You don't typically want a restaurant directly next to a fashion store. I mentioned Zara and Merchatto before realizing that the Zara entrance is as far away as possible from the Merchatto entrance, separated by an expanse of opaque glass walls and hidden behind an escalator — Merchatto is also directly next to a mall entrance.

The blue space is likely going to continue as popups throughout the remainder of the Ontario Line construction period. She thinks that it'll end up becoming a street side café or bakery while the red/green is sit down fine dining. The latter would open as soon as this Summer if negotiations are already underway as they seem to be if the container is being prepared for a tenant.

Coast Mountain Sports (2 Queen St. W) was connected to the mall via Sport Check on the third level.

 

[Richard White]

Consolidating red and green solves the mall connection problem and my source believes that this is what's being done with the construction and redemising occurring right now.

Many years ago (around the early 2000s). Atmosphere was there and had a direct connection to the lowest level of the mall.

 

[JasonParis]

I don't think Tower Records was connected for the public, but may have been for staff.

 

[Tuscani01]

I asked around and got a little bit more insight into what's happening here:


View attachment 711338

It turns out that none of these are desirable spaces, as one would think given their prominent locations, all for different reasons. This explains why they've been vacant or in transition for so long.

Blue and Red are too close to the entrance. People tend to take an industry calculated number of steps into a mall before visiting the first store. And when they're leaving the mall they're leaving the mall. They could work as anchor spaces but the mall wants them deeper in so customers get pulled in and the anchor functions as a feeder for other stores with less gravity.

Blue typically has a little more value given its street presence but it is at an entrance surrounded by construction hoarding for the next several years.

Green suffers from a similar detractor. Even though it's facing Yonge, the corner is a muddy mess that people tend to want to clear as fast as possible. Not being connected to the mall directly limits the use as an anchor space.

Consolidating red and green solves the mall connection problem and my source believes that this is what's being done with the construction and redemising occurring right now.

They think it's being looked at for hospitality. It acts as an attraction and diners often have time before a reservation or after eating to explore the mall. They're also certain the new entrance and corridor are permanent. The corridor breaks up "food" from "clothes". You don't typically want a restaurant directly next to a fashion store. I mentioned Zara and Merchatto before realizing that the Zara entrance is as far away as possible from the Merchatto entrance, separated by an expanse of opaque glass walls and hidden behind an escalator — Merchatto is also directly next to a mall entrance.

The blue space is likely going to continue as popups throughout the remainder of the Ontario Line construction period. She thinks that it'll end up becoming a street side café or bakery while the red/green is sit down fine dining. The latter would open as soon as this Summer if negotiations are already underway as they seem to be if the container is being prepared for a tenant.

The red space is going to be clothing. No entrance to the street or to the temporary exit hall planned, but they will be sprucing up the street facing side and adding signage.

 

[nightstreak]

Many years ago (around the early 2000s). Atmosphere was there and had a direct connection to the lowest level of the mall.

Coast Mountain Sports (2 Queen St. W) was connected to the mall via Sport Check on the third level.

I remember that. There's still an opening that is sealed off.

That cutout on the right of the 2 Queen West box led to an extension of Sportchek/Atmosphere where the Shoppers is, which itself connected to the mall.

 

[longfortheoldview]

2 Queen West seems like the perfect place for a Cheesecake Factory or an Olive Garden or something of the like. TEC needs a more family friendly restaurant.

I'd love to see the blue space become a TTC branded store...you know in the 2030s once the OL opens.

 

[nightstreak]

2 Queen West seems like the perfect place for a Cheesecake Factory or an Olive Garden or something of the like. TEC needs a more family friendly restaurant.

That's what I suspect it is. It's 10k to 15k square feet if you include a consolidation of 2 Queen West with a section of the mall facing spots, up to 20K feet if you include the second floor as well. It'll have to be a large chain restaurant that'll attract attention on its own and can take up that amount of square footage. The Cheesecake Factory at Yorkdale, which is always busy, is 10,400 square feet so I think it could do well in that space and at that location in a touristy spot. A Keg could work too but there are already a few of them downtown, there are no Cheesecake Factory restaurants in downtown Toronto.

I'd love to see the blue space become a TTC branded store...you know in the 2030s once the OL opens.

Particularly well suited if they could open it to the stairwell leading down to the subway station. I'd still prefer to see a cafe at that corner. I really loved the McDonalds on the second floor where Harry Rosen is. It was such a good spot to people watch and it really opened up the space. The Harry Rosen makes it feel like a dead end. They could recreate that feeling in the blue unit at street level but as a cafe or bakery which it's perfectly sized as. There would even be room for a little outdoor patio.