urbandreamer
recession proof
Four years later, I'm still waiting for this announcement. Where did the mayor go?
|
|
|
doady
Senior Member
The think the development already happened: the shitty category killer stores in the northeast parking lots of similar style to the stores north of the terminal. Just expect more the same: more turning the Square One parking lots into the next Heartland. Don't expect office buildings or condos with street-level retail or anything like that.
SP!RE
°°°°°°
Well to be honest, FutureMayor is the person who said that MaRS had picked up and moved their next phase to Mississauga.
khris
Senior Member
The plan is for office towers to be on the south parking lots nearer to city hall, not on the north. That is where the retail is planned, and already being built. Personally for me, it should have been the other way around, as the condos and apartments are on the south and east and west sides, with none on the north.
Marko
Active Member
This whole announcement that Future Mayor was trumpeting is likely the whole "Downtown 21" plan, but without a single entity really putting up money to do it. The city needs developers, who now have a lot less in their pockets than they did a few years ago.
I don't like the retail that's going in along the northern edges, but it's clear that it's being built in a way that would be easy rip town and build UP when needed.
As for towers and hotels ans such, I think the blocks between Burnhamthorpe and City Center Dr leave all kinds of room (between City Hall and Hurontaro - room for 5 or 6 more buildings)... then the west side of Hurontario between the Rathburn and Burnhampthorpe also leave tons of space (also room for 5 or 6 buildings). I see this L shape as ideal for more commercial or institutional use, leaving pretty much anything else around MCC for residential or mixed use.
The lots around the mall could then be in-filled with lower-rise structures that contain retail and hospitality along the ground and second floors with City Centre Drive - between City Hall and the Curve - becoming sort of a main commercial street with retail offshoots on the short blocks and side streets instilled with the new development - some of it being pedestrian only.
B'thorpe will eventually be kind of like "Spadinaspaced" with dedicated LRT down the middle. That stretch of City Centre Dr could be more like Bloor (west of Yonge) with the Yorkville-like "pedestrian zone" sprouting just to the north.
What they put in that 1km stretch on the north side of Burnhampthorpe will really make or break the whole thing. The HAS TO BE activity at ground level on as many sides of those buildings as possible. Would be really nice if this could be sort of a "hotel row" with a lot of street level retail and restaurants.
I don't like the retail that's going in along the northern edges, but it's clear that it's being built in a way that would be easy rip town and build UP when needed.
As for towers and hotels ans such, I think the blocks between Burnhamthorpe and City Center Dr leave all kinds of room (between City Hall and Hurontaro - room for 5 or 6 more buildings)... then the west side of Hurontario between the Rathburn and Burnhampthorpe also leave tons of space (also room for 5 or 6 buildings). I see this L shape as ideal for more commercial or institutional use, leaving pretty much anything else around MCC for residential or mixed use.
The lots around the mall could then be in-filled with lower-rise structures that contain retail and hospitality along the ground and second floors with City Centre Drive - between City Hall and the Curve - becoming sort of a main commercial street with retail offshoots on the short blocks and side streets instilled with the new development - some of it being pedestrian only.
B'thorpe will eventually be kind of like "Spadinaspaced" with dedicated LRT down the middle. That stretch of City Centre Dr could be more like Bloor (west of Yonge) with the Yorkville-like "pedestrian zone" sprouting just to the north.
What they put in that 1km stretch on the north side of Burnhampthorpe will really make or break the whole thing. The HAS TO BE activity at ground level on as many sides of those buildings as possible. Would be really nice if this could be sort of a "hotel row" with a lot of street level retail and restaurants.
Last edited:
Observer Walt
Senior Member
Marko, that's a well written analysis. The "power centre"-style buildings under construction along the north edge of Square One are unlikely to last more than about 10 years, IMO. They, along with Playdium, will be gone sooner or later. The new condos will go west of Square One (as several already have, in fact). The big challenge, IMO, is not these new retail spaces, but the lack of new office development. There hasn't been a new office building in the City Centre for ten years, while both retail and residential are roaring ahead, and institutional (Sheridan College) is now in the mix as well. The lack of offices results in an unbalanced development, which is, IMO, a problem.
It's not that Miss. is unattractive to offices. Look at Airport Corporate Centre, the Eglinton / Creekbank area, Meadowvale, and Hurontario north of Eglinton. The economics favours these locations over the City Centre, which should be the opposite of what we want.
It's not that Miss. is unattractive to offices. Look at Airport Corporate Centre, the Eglinton / Creekbank area, Meadowvale, and Hurontario north of Eglinton. The economics favours these locations over the City Centre, which should be the opposite of what we want.
maestro
Senior Member
Mississauga's City Centre office submarket has been among the worst performing for quite a while. It simply cannot compete the cheaper business parks nor does it have the prestige of downtown Toronto. It wouldn't surprise me if we see overall inventory drop in MCC over the next ten years through demolition.
Marko
Active Member
Part of the reason is that the buildings aren't very nice and up until recently, there hasn't been much around. The buildings along Robert Speck and Sussex do far better than the dreck buildings around the mall itself.
I think you're right that some of what is there needs to be demolished, but I think there may be a bump in need for space similar to what is around Yonge & St Clair or NYCC. Those definitely have a huge transit advantage, as do the business pars with proximity to the 401, etc, but with things like Absolute World and a lot of the condo development, there will be a growing appeal to being located in MCC. The city has to decide to make the financial case more appealling to potential builders/tenants, which likely means some sort of tax break or reduced development fees in exchange for added density/height, etc... If you want to build in certain places in certain ways, you have to grease the wheels a little.
I think you're right that some of what is there needs to be demolished, but I think there may be a bump in need for space similar to what is around Yonge & St Clair or NYCC. Those definitely have a huge transit advantage, as do the business pars with proximity to the 401, etc, but with things like Absolute World and a lot of the condo development, there will be a growing appeal to being located in MCC. The city has to decide to make the financial case more appealling to potential builders/tenants, which likely means some sort of tax break or reduced development fees in exchange for added density/height, etc... If you want to build in certain places in certain ways, you have to grease the wheels a little.
Jasonzed, welcome to UT! Your photos from the NE parking lot/new big box area of Square One have been moved to this thread in the Retail subforum, and out of this thread which was set up to follow the possible (but completely stalled) redevelopment of Square One parking lots for much larger multiple use buildings. Too bad that's not happening yet...
42
42
Jasonzed
Senior Member
Thanks and thanks for the clarification, future updates will be posted there.