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Saks Fifth Avenue Flagship (Queen & Yonge)

Well, as long as it, and absolutely everything else in town, is done in time for the PanAm Games, then everything is good.

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Dandy Horse said:
If memory serves me correctly, the first floor is about eight feet higher than street level. This may be cause enough to demolish.
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Although that could make for a nice grand staircase into the store. The main problem I recall is the ceiling heights, and opening the ceiling in slective places may remedy that (although that would eat up floorspace).

How about a pair of curved escalators, like these at Richmond's River Rock Casino?

escalators_6a.jpg

(images via: Vancouver Sun, 3Gpdb and Hale_Popoki)
 
The likelihood of them taking over the concourse level for Saks retail is slim - several retailers have just expanded and/or renovated which means they have new leases, probably of no less than five years. I know of at least one tenant on the east end that has a long-term lease as well.
 
All of that sounds to me like they will completely demolish the existing store.
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Not on the quoted $100 million budget.

I believe the existing Bay store is 342,000 sqft. The gross sqft may be even more, and they could take over the rest of the concourse level. So well within the double Holts idea.

Brookfield did do a feasibility study last year with regards to demolishing this whole complex and putting a pair of 80-storey towers on this corner. Wallman were the architects involved.
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The whole complex comprises 2.8 million sqft. That's a hell of a lot of perfectly good revenue generating space to demolish. The condo tower can't be demolished anyway.
 
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freshcutgrass said:
Not on the quoted $100 million budget.

I believe the existing Bay store is 342,000 sqft. The gross sqft may be even more, and they could take over the rest of the concourse level. So well within the double Holts idea.



The whole complex comprises 2.8 million sqft. That's a hell of a lot of perfectly good revenue generating space to demolish. The condo tower can't be demolished anyway.
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Saks shoppers don't take the subway... and I can't seem them interested in the existing concourse. The food court does well - its the only food court in the area and there are a fair number of office buildings, especially to the east.

That being said if the Bay is already almost 342K there is enough hidden square footage (the old movie theatre, the fabricland space etc...) could all be reconfigured to create whatever Richard Baker wants to create. Whatever happens - its something to be excited about!
 
This is exciting news. I will actually miss the building in a way, but not the streetscape. I am a fan of brutalism though, so...
I've never been to a Saks store, so I have no idea what we're in for. By the sounds of it though, I probably won't be able to afford much there.
 
The foundations of the Bay stand in the way of a BD line second platform according to Steve Munro
 
maestro said:
The Plaza 2 has very large suites for reasonable prices. It's not impossible the economics don't allow the complete demolition for a large tower with double or triple the rental rate per square foot.
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I hope not! I just moved into this building and it's one of the best deals on rent in the city.
 
Curious what are you referring too ? On top of the existing Bay store at this location their are offices for lease ?
 
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