Toronto Eaton Centre (Ongoing Renewal) | ?m | ?s | Cadillac Fairview | Zeidler

[Tuscani01]

Am I the only one that actually likes the smell?

 

[T.E.C.II]

Agreed. I would rather see a Macy's, Kohl's or Simons replace Sears. Nordstrom is expensive to begin with, but because it's Canada they will probably jack the prices up even higher, like Target.

Whole mall is becoming more expensive. Nordstrom at one end, Saks on the other. Actually, I'm finding clothing at the Bay to be really expensive. It's weird that they have high end brans next to mall brands. It's an odd vibe. I find it a bit intimidating.

 

[interchange42]

Retail Insider was first to show the rendering, and I posted it here. That was a few weeks back.

I find BlogTO always reports on things after they've been noted here on UT first.

Ah-hah! And here's what I've been waiting to find out, and why we haven't put that bridge on the front page yet. From Cadillac Fairview:

Cadillac Fairview is looking at how best to renovate and/or replace what's currently there. We haven't landed on a final design yet, so we don't have a schedule for when the work would take place (or for how long). The current bridge will stay open until such time.

So, that bridge image is a conceptual one, and nothing more. Sorry!

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[ChesterCopperpot]

I await to see an edit in BlogTOs article in about 30 minutes haha

 

[Transportfan]

It's the basement. The quality of the space is lower. The rents are probably lower, too. There are columns almost randomly placed in the corridor.

There's already a basement-level converted ex-Sears space corridor connecting to Dundas. Is this corridor above or below that (there were two basement levels) ?

 

[Skeezix]

There's already a basement-level converted ex-Sears space corridor connecting to Dundas. Is this corridor above or below that (there were two basement levels) ?

That was never ex-Sears space, but it was former Eaton's space (the old 2 Below). It was converted to mall space before Sears' eatons opened. There used to be three levels of Eaton's store below the main level of the store, although 3 Below (where the food court is now) was converted to mall space decades ago. IIRC.

What they are talking about now is the old 1 Below, which used to be the menswear floor (at also bed linens when the store started to collapse in on itself, so to speak) in Sears.

 

[MetroMan]

I just walked through. It's not the bad. It looks identical to the remaining stores on that level. The ceiling is the same and the floor is the same. The store fronts themselves will have to stand out and so far, there are some good examples of creativity and good design. It feels like the PATH and indeed it does connect directly to two subway stations from end to end.

The good news is that one doesn't have to go through Sears to reach the Dundas side of the mall anymore. The level above will offer the same walk through right into the Y&D atrium but with higher ceilings and more important stores and finishes.

Regarding the Queen Street bridge, I wonder if this will come with a change in the Queen Street entrance itself. It's the main entrance on the south side of the mall with the arrival to the iconic Canada geese but the entrance itself is very poorly designed with store fronts obscuring the view into the mall and the terrible doors offering resistance to those going in.

I'd like to see the stores made to have all glass walls and the facade replaced with mullion free windows. There's room for a climate buffer so that the heavy doors could be replaced with with automatic sliding doors or at least more modern revolving doors.

There's an opportunity to make the entrance on Queen Street as grand as the one on Yonge & Dundas.

 

[devjohnson]

I had a friend who worked at a lush. He did smell, 24/ 7. It was intense. You knew he was nearby even without looking or hearing him.

I used to be a Floor Leader for LUSH. It was only the Eaton Centre store that smelled like that - they had FAR too small of a space for that much product. (But I loved that smell)

 

[interchange42]

Speaking of Lush, the smell does not overpower at the new store. While being larger, maybe it's got much better (and hidden) air-handling equipment?

Anyway, let's take a couple of walks down the new hall. This one will look down the east side, heading north, and ending with the new Lush without getting into the still heavily scaffolded Dundas atrium.

Ecco is the first of the new stores on the east side.

Mendocino will be the next one.

Marc Jacobs comes up next.

Telus will be next.

Tumi is the first open one.

Torrid will be next.

Now a run that have already opened, starting with David's Tea…

…Australia's Ever New,

…La Vie En Rose,

…and Saje. Virgin Mobile will be next.

Lenscrafters is moving from Level 4 in the Galleria to here:

And as said above, Lush has opened.

North of it is Aldo, where Also has always been. Beyond that, I got sucked into looking through the H&M expansion on the other side, so anyone else know?

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[interchange42]

Speaking of the other side, let's go back to the south end of the new hall and head north looking at the west side.

First on this side will be Pandora Jewellery. After it, Lacoste has opened.

Next it's L'Occitane, and then there's an unlabeled hoarding (with the two young, attractive shoppers on it).

After going around the corner, Gerry Weber has opened.

Next will be Uno de 50.

Next will be Rudsak.

Next, Oak + Fort has opened,

…followed by Shoo. There's another blank after this I think.

Next up will be Champs…

…more Champs, it's big, then H&M's expansion with the Men's store, and Women's north of that…

Close-up on H&M Man.

Then we are back to the hoarding of the Dundas Atrium. That's it for the hallway for now.

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[interchange42]

One more pic of new stores.

Here's where Zara is rebuilding on Level 3, with the old Greenjeans space with Nordstrom logos on it now (so at least one of Nordstrom's restaurants much be coming up here).

Beyond that, what's out of sight to the upper left is where Lenscrafters is, and where some are speculating that Zara could also expand into if they go to a multi-level store.

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[ardwold1]

Surely Marc Jacobs isn't actually moving into that space?

 

[interchange42]

Well, it's just a quote from him on the hoarding, so maybe not. There are no Marc Jacobs stand alone stores in the country yet. He is carried at Nordstrom which will be a level above this…

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[officedweller]

From the Cadillac Fairview leasing website, it looks like the Nordstrom floorplate will be substantially smaller than the Eaton's / Sears floorplate:

There's a long passageway from the Dundas Atrium (flanked by 2 large 2-storey retail spaces):

http://www.cfretail.com/EN/PropertySearch/Pages/TorontoEatonCentre.aspx

There's a similar Nordstrom floorplate on the next level up:

http://www.cfretail.com/EN/PropertySearch/Pages/TorontoEatonCentre.aspx

 

[khris]

One more pic of new stores.

Here's where Zara is rebuilding on Level 3, with the old Greenjeans space with Nordstrom logos on it now (so at least one of Nordstrom's restaurants much be coming up here).

Beyond that, what's out of sight to the upper left is where Lenscrafters is, and where some are speculating that Zara could also expand into if they go to a multi-level store.

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Lenscrafters is on the same level as Zara now, no?