Toronto Aura at College Park | 271.87m | 78s | Canderel | Graziani + Corazza

[Dan416]

Yep, it makes me feel like I'm back in Vietnam. In fact, Vietnam had much nicer shopping malls and food courts than this. (and I am being serious)

I think Penetang is short for Penetanguishene in Simcoe County.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Huge mechanical units were lifted into place on the south roof this morning. I grabbed a photo, will u/l later.

 

[ChesterCopperpot]

Judging by the photos posted just now, you may finally be wrong about something!!!

Judging by a conversation I had with my coworker this morning - I don't think I am

 

[vegeta_skyline]

From what I can remember most of the curved crown will just be acting as a screen/parapet.

Judging by the photos posted just now, you may finally be wrong about something!!!

Judging by a conversation I had with my coworker this morning - I don't think I am

Does it really matter what it is? It's still a vertical extension of the building. Unless your suggesting that it shouldn't count towards the buildings height or something.

Just look at One Valhalla, there are no solid interior concrete walls up there(I've been up there) but visually it makes no difference from the outside;

 

[Big Daddy]

The food court and concourse level is straight out of penatang. Peice of garbage embarrassment.

Any photos you can share?

 

[ushahid]

I haven't visited the retail, food court or the mall but I have seen the pictures and I think that the only thing that makes it look cheap is the beige looking marble.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Any photos you can share?

There are several people who have posted pictures, you'd have to go back 15, maybe 20 pages.

I haven't visited the retail, food court or the mall but I have seen the pictures and I think that the only thing that makes it look cheap is the beige looking marble.

There are no signs to indicate it's there yet, and if there are I didn't notice any of them so they would be poor. It has an unfortunate connection from College Park, it feels cramped down there, the retail units are literally twice the size of my bathroom and a couple are the size of my bathroom and it's has less charactor than 10 Dundas E. It has a flea market feel down there, less the bright lighting. The above ground retail spaces (Bed/Bath & Marshall's) are OK, if you can find the entrance.

 

[DSC]

It has a flea market feel down there, less the bright lighting. The above ground retail spaces (Bed/Bath & Marshall's) are OK, if you can find the entrance.

Yes, though I am not a fan of the whole building I admit there can be valid differing views of the above ground impact of it - the 'basement' is however an unfortunate disaster and I feel sorry for any of the merchants who actually bought these tiny and poorly planned spaces. It is a great pity that the at grade 'stores" add virtually nothing to the street and that the below-ground ones and their connection to College Park (and possibly, in the future, further south) are so shabby, badly designed and uninviting.

 

[ushahid]

dt Toronto geek I was talking about this
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTdXG-fzSeh-xDvfoJMmd0Gh3hpsglVLDJHipKdCvQB3HidAD5Wcg
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRqCOjCMQxiS5rRWgQ2YQGvJYLwcTjx1DXWjt_3Ok5yuO-4GyuL

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

dt Toronto geek I was talking about this
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTdXG-fzSeh-xDvfoJMmd0Gh3hpsglVLDJHipKdCvQB3HidAD5Wcg
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRqCOjCMQxiS5rRWgQ2YQGvJYLwcTjx1DXWjt_3Ok5yuO-4GyuL

Ya, it's all very unfortunate. As I noted above there are other photos further back that give a more accurate "feel" of the retail areas below. I've only been down there once & I just took a quick glance at the food court area so I can't say much about that space plus I don't think any of the outlets were open yet.

 

[rpeters]

Huge mechanical units were lifted into place on the south roof this morning. I grabbed a photo, will u/l later.

sooooo, how bout dem photographs?

 

[Bamako]

I visited the basement of Aura today to see whether you guys were yanking my chain with how bad it is.

Man you weren't.

I wrote a photo essay on my blerg about it, which I hope is okay to post here. As someone who works in entrepreneurial space this area scares me because of how much you need to put on the line to get things going, only to have it turn out like that.

 

[SP!RE]

I enjoyed the blog entry. You're a good writer and you summed up the experience better than I could. The low lighting is probably the strangest thing about it, looking back on my visits to the lower-level retail at Aura, and it wasn't until I read your blog entry that I realized how strange that is given that the space is indeed officially open to the public. Who on earth thought the lighting, or anything about that space, would be sufficient?

 

[nopacnone]

The main doors into the basement coming from college park have no glass and say EMERGENCY DOOR UNLOCKED BY FIRE ALARM. All of those doors should have glass and have THE SHOPS AT AURA written at least somewhere.

 

[Miscreant]

I'd be surprised if the current arrangement--small stores, a small food court--exists past 10 years, likely less. That area is shameful, and it's not commercially sustainable.