Shops at Don Mills (redevelopment, Giannone Petricone/Pellow + Associates )

[Homer]

I visited the new Don Mills Shopping Centre in late May while attending Don Mills Collegiate's 50th birthday celebrations.

I think the new mall is horrible (as did my two sisters). We drove around and around looking for parking, and finally had to park way over by the Metro store. For the parking spaces out front of the shops, in the entire time we walked around no cars left. Made me wonder if the employees were parked there.

Later in the day it absolutely poured rain and there was nowhere to go for shelter, unless you went into a store where you had no intention of buying anything. I didn't have an opinion negative or positive on the recently-torn down mall (I lived downtown for 25 years but still went to my dentist and my family doctor at 75 The Donway West), but the original mall at least had overhangs so you could walk from shop to shop without getting rained or hailed on.

I honestly can't see having outdoor malls in a climate such as Toronto - freezing and icy in the winter, sweaty and gross in the summer. I found Don Mills Plaza very pedestrian-unfriendly.

Jack Astor's was nice, though.

Although it's been decades since I've been there so I may be speaking too soon, after viewing the new Don Mills Plaza I would much rather shop at Fairview Mall.

'... drove around and around...' you need my moniker(homer) there is a 4 storey parking garage dooooohhhh

'...no where for shelter....' there are large overhangs on every building dooohhh

'can't see having outdoor malls in a climate such as Toronto...' what is Toronto noted for? it's neighbourhoods; the beach(es), Greek Town, Little Italy, Queen West, Bloor West Village etc... all of which survive during the
winter months even though all outdoors doooohhhhh....

 

[TheProfessor]

what is Toronto noted for? it's neighbourhoods; the beach(es), Greek Town, Little Italy, Queen West, Bloor West Village etc... all of which survive during the
winter months even though all outdoors doooohhhhh....

I couldn't agree more. How do places like Yonge Street and/or Yorkville survive during the winter months? Do people not go out to eat?

Yes sales will drop, but the area won't be dead in my opinion.

 

[slowtyper]

But I feel those communities (beaches/danforth/chinatown) offer more than a shopping complex. Yes, the shopping complex has restaurants too, but the community restaurants are much different and it is a different kind of "outing" for people.

 

[alklay]

I agree. This is competing with other malls (which will be cosy and warm in the winter), not mixed use and vibrant neighbourhood communities and avenues.

 

[NorthYorker]

I imagine that over the next few years, this mall will become more geared towards food, and less towards clothing. I understand CF is trying to tap into the wealth of surrounding north york neighbourhoods, but Don Mills Centre was a hub of food, not shopping (before they tore it down). Its easy to see why too; there are several schools and retirement homes in the immediate area, and the next closest gathering of restaurants is York Mills & Leslie [yes, we're talking fast-food-type]. I agree with the previous posts that business may lag in the winter, but if the stores cater towards Don Mills residents (through appropriate tenants such as food), I wouldn't expect the dip to be any more significant than most malls. Thoughts?

 

[TheWestofCanada]

'... drove around and around...' you need my moniker(homer) there is a 4 storey parking garage dooooohhhh

'...no where for shelter....' there are large overhangs on every building dooohhh

'can't see having outdoor malls in a climate such as Toronto...' what is Toronto noted for? it's neighbourhoods; the beach(es), Greek Town, Little Italy, Queen West, Bloor West Village etc... all of which survive during the
winter months even though all outdoors doooohhhhh....

I really don't see the need to be condescending, but whatever turns your crank.

The parking lot is in one corner of the property. If I want to deal with multi-story parking lots, I'll go to the Eaton Centre.

Why stand under an overhang to wait for the rain to stop or hang out in just one shop when you could be shopping/window shopping from shop to shop?

As for its neighbourhoods, Don Mills is not the beach, the Danforth, Little Italy, Queen West, Bloor West, Yorkville, Yonge Street, etc.

 

[Darwin]

Hi everybody! I have been in this mall several times since it opened, and I can say that ever since my first time there I liked it. From my point of view it was a totally different experience and I didn't really feel like I was in a mall at all. I think it is very pedestrian-friendly and I liked the fact that they put attention on the details. The only thing I'm concerned about, is that it may turn into a summer season-mall. I can't really say it would, because i don't know the canadian culture very well, but based on the last winter (my first winter ever)
i don't know if people would like to go shopping in such extreme conditions. I'm sorry if I wrote something wrong, I'm still learning

 

[Homer]

I really don't see the need to be condescending, but whatever turns your crank.

The parking lot is in one corner of the property. If I want to deal with multi-story parking lots, I'll go to the Eaton Centre.

Why stand under an overhang to wait for the rain to stop or hang out in just one shop when you could be shopping/window shopping from shop to shop?

As for its neighbourhoods, Don Mills is not the beach, the Danforth, Little Italy, Queen West, Bloor West, Yorkville, Yonge Street, etc.

Yes a little condescending but you said there was no cover, I have been there so I don't know why you would say that when there are overhangs and a covered walk from the parking garage to the centre square. The parking garage is not in the corner, poor perception I guess.

I am sure C.F knows that attendence at malls has been declining (which is why all the renovation at TO (and surrounding) malls, to win people back) and they wanted to try something else.

Don Mills is not those neighbourhoods but then again those neighbourhoods took decades to be that way, maybe Don Mills will be in time maybe not, but the fact that it is outdoors won't be the reason. That is the point.

 

[Skeezix]

I agree. This is competing with other malls (which will be cosy and warm in the winter), not mixed use and vibrant neighbourhood communities and avenues.

How do you know that? This is a completely different animal, and we'll have to see how things play out. I'm not sure any of us can know for sure how well it will do or what kind of shoppers it will attract.

 

[slowtyper]

How do you know that? This is a completely different animal, and we'll have to see how things play out. I'm not sure any of us can know for sure how well it will do or what kind of shoppers it will attract.

Well I do'nt know anything for sure, but I think this competes with malls based on the types of shops available. Lets go over the list...

Aldo
Anthony's Restaurant
Anthropologie
Aphrodite Spa & Nails -
Aritzia
Banana Republic
Barba Grooming and Spa
Barbuti Fine Men's Clothing
BCBG Max Azria
Bell
Browns
Calvin Klein Underwear
Change
Coach
Denise -
Don Mills Optometric Clinic
Dr. P. McGrath
Eddie Bauer
First by Feet First
Glow
Guess?
Guest Services
Gymboree
Jack Astor's Bar & Grill
Joey Don Mills -
Ko's Gift Shop
LCBO
Lenscrafters Optique
Linda By Salad King
Madison Shoes & Accessories
McEwan
McNally Robinson Booksellers \ Prairie Ink
Melanie Lyne
Mendocino
Metro
Mexx Kids
Morrison Financial Services
Murale
New Balance Toronto
Olsen Europe
Pizza Pizza
RBC Royal Bank
Royal LePage Signature Realty
Royal LePage Signature Realty
Salomon
Shops at Don Mills Management Office
Spanner
Starbucks -
Symphony Diamonds
Tabi -
TD Canada Trust
Teaopia
Telus
Tommy Hilfiger
Town Shoes
Your Choice
Your Good Health Store

Yes there are some specialty stores like McEwan and Anthropogie but really...other malls each have their own specialty stores as well. The majority of stores in this mall are the same kind of shops you get everywhere else. Aldos? Telus? Tommy Hilfiger? Banana Republic...same old...same old.

I think if they concentrated more on restaurants it would be a better concept. I mean, I can't speak for everyone but personally I like hanging out in The Beaches and Danforth in the winter but if I'm going shopping there is no chance I'll be going to these shops in the winter time to shop. I go to the neighborhoods to find things that are NOT available in almost every other mall in the city.

I hope I'm wrong though, because I don't inherently want these businesses to fail. Anyways, I'm sure whoever built this complex hired people a lot smarter than me to work it out!

 

[alklay]

Exactly. If it largely has the same stores as nearby malls, it is competing with malls.

 

[TheWestofCanada]

Yes a little condescending but you said there was no cover, I have been there so I don't know why you would say that when there are overhangs and a covered walk from the parking garage to the centre square. The parking garage is not in the corner, poor perception I guess.

I am sure C.F knows that attendence at malls has been declining (which is why all the renovation at TO (and surrounding) malls, to win people back) and they wanted to try something else.

Don Mills is not those neighbourhoods but then again those neighbourhoods took decades to be that way, maybe Don Mills will be in time maybe not, but the fact that it is outdoors won't be the reason. That is the point.

Don't have a cow, man. You are entitled to your opinions, as am I. That is the point.

I'm simply not into parking garages, which likely accounts for my "poor perception".

I was generally ambivalent about the mall they tore down to build the new one, though I enjoyed walking through it whenever I came up from downtown to go to the doctor and dentist at 75 The Donway West. If I still lived in Toronto and were still doing that, I would probably bypass the new place. It strikes me as being very disjointed, somehow.

Maybe Don Mills will be that in time, true, but I think Don Mills Road is too wide at this point and the through traffic too fast to become something like that, even if shops line Don Mills Road and Lawrence Avenue the way they do in all the neighbourhoods mentioned above. Don Mills is a suburban neighbourhood, not an urban one. It may become an urban neighbourhood at some time in the future. However, I would think it would take a long time and, as I say, the roads are too wide at this point.

As slowtyper says, "I'm sure whoever built this complex hired people a lot smarter than me to work it out!"

I find it odd that you come to this site and your first post attacks a member of the forum. Do we know each other from elsewhere?

 

[street meet]

In neighbourhoods, people live on public streets, above shops that exist in pieces of architecture. There are residential streets that feed into main streets.

This area is an outdoor mall that people will visit, not live. Nothing wrong with that, it just ain't Yorkville or the Beaches.

 

[Homer]

Rapid Transit and Condo's

I see that the rapid transit proposals for Toronto arterial roads has a street car line right by The Don Mills Centre on Don Mills Road. I wonder what affect that would have on the centre. On site I also saw a sign for a condo office which I guess is planned there. Also interesting.

 

[boris]

another opinion

This area is an outdoor mall that people will visit, not live. Nothing wrong with that, it just ain't Yorkville or the Beaches.

Actually, lots of local folks (me included) do like new "Town Square" feature and I must admit it is pleasure to sit there, smoke cigar, have coffee and see friends.
However it is what it is - shopping centre.

On another note, as I am following this rather intense discussion - it just strikes me as odd that lots of folks think that Canadian winter is something terrible and end of the world like.
I must ask - if they ever ventured anywhere outside of this country during winter (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland or for that matter anywhere in central Europe). If they did, they will realize that there is life outside of the mall - even when weather is not nice.
So folks, if you see white matter falling from the havens - relax - it is just a snow.
In my opinion this is nice addition to the neighborhood.