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

[TheProfessor]

I've been back to DMC a couple of times in the past month and was pleasantly surprised to see that the entire mall was bustling. On both trips I actually had to circle for parking until finding a spot, and I wasn't being terribly picky. The few stores that we went into were quite busy with reasonably long lines to purchase merchandise, so it looks like the cold isn't keeping people away, we'll have to see if/how that changes once it starts to really snow.

 

[johnr]

McNally blames low traffic for failure.

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/...s-for-bankruptcy-toronto-location-closes.aspx

Signs that the store was struggling included book publishers complaining privately of low attendance at author appearances: Don Mills is far from the homes of transit-riding, downtown-dwelling literary types.

In an interview with the Winnipeg Free Press Monday night, company founder Paul McNally confirmed that the store "did not perform." He blamed Shops at Don Mills owners Cadillac Fairview for failing to lure enough tenants and customers to the mall. "Obviously you buy a pig in a poke when you go into a new place," Mr. McNally told the Free Press. "But one would think that Canada's biggest retail developer might have done a better job." Specifically, he complained that signage for the store was not visible enough.

 

[maestro]

IMHO, The guy deserves to go bankrupt if he thinks CF bares the responsibility of his poor signage, his lack of advertisment, and his bonehead decision to choose Don Mills and Lawrence. Of course, I'm not saying CF is doing its best part to keep its tenant happy but, c'mon!

 

[Dugmor]

IMHO, The guy deserves to go bankrupt if he thinks CF bares the responsibility of his poor signage, his lack of advertisment, and his bonehead decision to choose Don Mills and Lawrence. Of course, I'm not saying CF is doing its best part to keep its tenant happy but, c'mon!

What's wrong with Don Mills and Lawrence? Do book stores even do that well in general these days? Reading has never been more absent among youths as it is today.

 

[Observer Walt]

I'm sorry to see this happen. Chapters / Indigo are doing a reasonably good job IMO, but competition is of course a good thing in any business. But it seems to me that they should have located downtown, for their first venture into Toronto. I doubt that it's Cad-Fair's fault in any way; they have built an attractive centre which probably just wasn't right for this particular business.

 

[whatever]

It's a shame they closed. They had a great selection, and a lot of small press and local interest stuff that I haven't seen at Chapter/Indigo. That's where I picked up my copy of Unbuilt Toronto

 

[alklay]

That bookstore is not the only store at Don Mills that is disappointed with sales and the popularity of the place. I can't speak to what others have seen, but I know of at least one major chain that is experiencing disappointing sales.

And I somehow doubt that on days as cold as the last few, that this plaza is as mobbed as the warm indoor malls are (and you could hardly move for all the people at Eaton Centre today).

(sorry I cannot say what chain....and damn, I use to hate posts like this one. lol).

 

[TheProfessor]

My eye doctor is in the professional offices above the stores and when I saw him a few weeks ago he said that they're not overly happy with the new place. Their office used to be in the building above the Blockbuster Video (can't remember the address, but off the Donway).

The office itself is quite nice with a water feature, tons of natural light, etc. but he said business for him has gone down since the move. He said all of his patients are complaining about a lack of close parking, which is odd because his office is as close to the multi-level parking garage as possible.

He also told me that the day I was there somebody stole the front kidney shaped grill from his BMW. Who the heck steals a grill? It happened in the multi-level garage.

 

[Dugmor]

He also told me that the day I was there somebody stole the front kidney shaped grill from his BMW. Who the heck steals a grill? It happened in the multi-level garage.[/QUOTE]

A bbq enthusiast perhaps.

 

[gabe]

I can see more stores closing at the Shops at Don Mills. I was there a few days before Christmas, it wasn't that busy, at Yorkdale cars were lined up waiting to get in the parking lot! I don't mind the Shops during the summer but this time of year i would rather be indoors in a nice WARM mall.

 

[AnnetteMeetsJane]

The shops along Bloor West (e.g. in Bloor West Village) have had lots of passing trade over the holidays, and that isn't a covered mall. (The BIA works at it.) I am sure that lots of other "open-air" commercial strips around Toronto are OK even in the winter also. The indoor malls are not the only workable model.
-AmJ

 

[Dugmor]

I can see more stores closing at the Shops at Don Mills. I was there a few days before Christmas, it wasn't that busy, at Yorkdale cars were lined up waiting to get in the parking lot! I don't mind the Shops during the summer but this time of year i would rather be indoors in a nice WARM mall.

You're probably right especially since most of the stores are exclusively for women. Chicks don't like being outside in the winter.

 

[Traynor]

Does anyone remember that the mall this new development replaced, was once an outdoor plaza as well? Just as Bayview Village once was. They enclosed both of them because our Canadian winters suck.

I give the shops of Don Mills Centre maybe 3 to 5 years before they enclose it as well.

 

[Dugmor]

Does anyone remember that the mall this new development replaced, was once an outdoor plaza as well? Just as Bayview Village once was. They enclosed both of them because our Canadian winters suck.

I give the shops of Don Mills Centre maybe 3 to 5 years before they enclose it as well.

I'm sure they could connect the buildings in some way or just have the PATH system extend to Don Mills.

 

[KA1]

I'm sure they could connect the buildings in some way or just have the PATH system extend to Don Mills.

I had attended two public consultation meetings in the shopping mall. We were told that the plan was to construct around 7 or 8 condos along The Donway. Kids who grew up in the neighbourhood are now adults and they are all over the country. They are concerned about the well being of their againg parents and would like them to be able to go into an apartment without leaving the neighbourhood. Further, some of the grown up children, themselves, have shown desire to purchase a unit in the area for the day when they eventually come back to the neighbourhood.

I had specifically asked Fram Building Group president questions that if you planning to build apartments mainly for wealthy seniors, then you will have to consider (a) security and (b) that the seniors will be concerned going for shopping in an open area because of snow and ice.

I was told that there will be private security arrangements 24 hours a day and that only authorized vehicles -- security, fire brigade, ambulance -- will travel on the inside roads. Further, that the plaza will be renovated along the lines of The Bayview Village -- upscale and enclosed. There will be shops all around the outer edges -- European bakery was one example given -- which will have entrance both from inside the enclosed mall and from the outside as well when the weather is better. I was told that this type of concept has already been tried somewhere in US -- Cincinnati was the name given, I think -- and it has been working there wonderfully.

It seems that somewhere along the line, planning went awry. Owners will learn a costly lesson.