S
samsonyuen
Guest
Uggh...get Sears out of there, and put someone else in please! I hope it is -1, so it can be used for more mall space.
|
|
|
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
A
adma
Guest
Would it not have been *10* levels? After all, "3 Below" used to be the "youth" level of Eatons, i.e. its commercials were all over CHUM, CFTR etc--IIRC it was in storage limbo for a spell before being converted into the present food court c1990...
S
spmarshall
Guest
Simons, or a store like it could work quite well in a two or three floor version of Eatons. It isn't a full department store, no appliances, electronics, toys, etc, mainly fashion and accessories. And I'm sure CF would have no trouble leasing -1, but something like Simons would still need a floor at street level. That old Eaton's store is in such an awkward position to work around above -1.
2
21stcenturymichael
Guest
You may be right. The promotional materials I have from the early years of the Eaton Centre all say 9 storeys. So, either 3 Below was added later, or they didn't consider it a full floor. Either way, it was a bloody big store. What a waste of space to have Sears mothballing all of these floors.
A
adma
Guest
Though to be a little more radical, might there be a possibility that the days are numbered for the *building*, let alone the store?
Given the utilitarian metal siding along the Sears-facing face of the new Ryerson building, I wouldn't be surprised if the store itself was ultimately torn down or rebuilt beyond recognition as a Ryerson-or-something annex. (It might even be a nice opportunity for Zeidler to rechannel some of that old high-tech megastructural energy...)
Given the utilitarian metal siding along the Sears-facing face of the new Ryerson building, I wouldn't be surprised if the store itself was ultimately torn down or rebuilt beyond recognition as a Ryerson-or-something annex. (It might even be a nice opportunity for Zeidler to rechannel some of that old high-tech megastructural energy...)
A
adma
Guest
The promotional materials I have from the early years of the Eaton Centre all say 9 storeys. So, either 3 Below was added later, or they didn't consider it a full floor.
IIRC it might indeed have been a converted storage level; it wasn't "promoted" until some months later, and always had a That 70s basement rec-room conversion feel to it--in the best way, of course.
Funny how once upon a time not so very long ago when we might imagine all young men looking like J. D. Roberts, the youth zones of Eatons + Simpsons really were happenin' places, I guess...
S
stokell
Guest
I agree, department stores are dead.
B
building babel
Guest
That restaurant that ROOTS ran, briefly, in the early 1990's - located in the now wrecked atrium at the north end ( where the kite-themed interior decor was ) - wasn't much.
E3 was the name of the clothes boutique for the young people when the Centre opened in the mid-1970's. Located, not surprisingly, on level 3 it was designed by Richard Beal RCA, one of my teachers at OCA - who also worked on the exhibition design when Ontario Place opened. Eatons was still marginally on the ball as far as marketing in those days - I remember a fabulous little animated TV ad that had all kinds of zippy art deco / Robert Crumb inspired dudes and chickees heading downtown to waste their money in the new store.
E3 was the name of the clothes boutique for the young people when the Centre opened in the mid-1970's. Located, not surprisingly, on level 3 it was designed by Richard Beal RCA, one of my teachers at OCA - who also worked on the exhibition design when Ontario Place opened. Eatons was still marginally on the ball as far as marketing in those days - I remember a fabulous little animated TV ad that had all kinds of zippy art deco / Robert Crumb inspired dudes and chickees heading downtown to waste their money in the new store.
I
interchange42
Guest
I would be very surprised to see either the Sears store torn down, or for the lower floors to go non-retail. I wouldn't be surprised though to see some massive reconfigurations of the space to accommodate more stores while Sears shrinks. The very successful galleria could be extended further north for example, or the southeast chunk of Sears could be amputated, leaving Sears as an L shape, and providing space for another store (like Simons) with access to both the mall and Yonge Street. (Not that Sears is going to be thrilling giving over space to more direct competition.)
I would be surprised if Sears would let 1 below go entirely, and moved itself up on to the ground and higher floors only. Surely 1 below (or whatever it's called) has high traffic, and good sales, due to the number of people on their way to or from the subway and galleria.
The higher shuttered floors need to be rethought. Who wants to ride escalator after escalator after escalator to get to them? No-one, that's why they're gone. Reconfiguring them for Ryerson would make a lot of sense once access to them was improved, e.g. a skybridge from the new building, plus a better elevator lobby at ground level, etc.
I have no idea what Cadillac Fairview's lease allows, or when it's up for renewal, but some creative thinking needs to be applied to the building.
42
I would be surprised if Sears would let 1 below go entirely, and moved itself up on to the ground and higher floors only. Surely 1 below (or whatever it's called) has high traffic, and good sales, due to the number of people on their way to or from the subway and galleria.
The higher shuttered floors need to be rethought. Who wants to ride escalator after escalator after escalator to get to them? No-one, that's why they're gone. Reconfiguring them for Ryerson would make a lot of sense once access to them was improved, e.g. a skybridge from the new building, plus a better elevator lobby at ground level, etc.
I have no idea what Cadillac Fairview's lease allows, or when it's up for renewal, but some creative thinking needs to be applied to the building.
42
S
samsonyuen
Guest
If Sears were to be carved up into half (or a big section amputated), I'd prefer something more like Nordstrom in San Francisco Shopping Centre (Nordstrom in the top floors of the shopping Centre) than Les Ailes in the old Eaton store in Montréal (one (back) half of the building). It allows for bigger floorplates for the department store, and more conitinuity in the mall.
A
adma
Guest
Ultimately, though, you'd wind up with scarcely a "department store" at all--merely another puzzle piece in what's morphing into, w/H&M, Canadian Tire and all, a big-box development in the guise of an urban mall...
D
dashingdan
Guest
but the thing is, samson, who wants to go up tons of escalators to get to a certain store?
S
samsonyuen
Guest
True. They do for the second-largest Nordstrom, but they wouldn't for Sears.
E
Ed007Toronto
Guest
Re: >Re: Toronto Retail Thread
Sears has at least one floor up top that's empty. Of course its not prime space.
Sears has at least one floor up top that's empty. Of course its not prime space.
A
AlvinofDiaspar
Guest
Re: >Re: Toronto Retail Thread
They can always rebuild the parking garage along Yonge Street for a zillion dollars.
AoD
They can always rebuild the parking garage along Yonge Street for a zillion dollars.
AoD