Toronto Emerald Park Condos | 128.92m | 40s | Bazis | Rosario Varacalli

[pipolchap]

Yay i love jerk pork

Apparently this place is moving/expanding here from an old location. They have good reviews.

Is this the same Allwyn's as in Allwyn's Bakery on Underhill?

 

[Bill123]

Is this the same Allwyn's as in Allwyn's Bakery on Underhill?

Yes. This is about the only place I am excited for other than the LCBO. Finally some carribean food.

 

[sunnyraytoronto]

Now that the Metro deal has closed and they have taken ownership of the entire 2nd floor I would imagine LCBO will be opening up soon!

Well,.... I'mNotABelieber,....

I would be shocked if Metro deal closed. Keep in mind, the poster that posted it just joined for the forum that day and its his/her only post. Also keep in mind, I've been burned before by newbie first time posters - like a few years ago when first time poster Scudder posted that Loblaw's T&T bailed on EmeraldPark and Metro was taking over.

What we do know are:
- Metro wanted out of EmeraldPark, saw WholeFoodsMarket open at HullmarkCentre Fall 2014 and business seems much lower than expected - Longos coming to renovated SheppardCentre in about 1.5 years - that's two competitors within a stone throw of each other,.... and the other two competitors has Yonge Street frontage locations (Longos on 3rd floor)
- EmeraldPark supermarket is worst of the 3 supermarket location since it's hidden in rear of 2nd floor with no Yonge Street frontage, lack of visibility, no Yonge Street entrance and on the low density side of Yonge Street
- Already 3 Metro stores within 2 km radius
- NorthTown Plaza (Yonge & Cummer) being redeveloped soon into high density condos towers and townhouses where Metro's has a FoodBasic store - they got city planning approval last Fall whereas before city wanted to wait 30 years for development in this North Yonge area. Makes more sense to change new redeveloped store into higher profit margin Metro store so Metro can serve that new high growth community and further Metro's reach northward
- Metro won't open a Metro store at EmeraldPark - it'll be a money looser! Metro tried to rent-out/off-load the space
- Metro wanted to off-load EmeraldPark location to its Adonis (Persian/multi-cultural arm due to high local Persian demographic) but they didn't like location of store and parking situation
- Parking at EmeraldPark is a pain since residents, retail and office all use the same parking entrance/exit off Bogert Ave. EmeraldPark will basically have supermarket over a barrel over parking fees (each parking spot now sells for about $50,000).
- Bazis delivered 2nd floor supermarket space late - after Fall 2015 promised date - Bazis was still using the area as staging area in the Spring

Since Bazis was late in delivery, Metro has a way out of the contract; thus, why would Metro stay at EmeraldPark? It doesn't make sense for Metro to open a money losing store at EmeraldPark. Metro only option is to keep store and find sucker to rent it out to or get out of contract,... pay penalty and walk or find where Bazis failed to deliver what was in contract,.... and with Bazis,....

 

[someMidTowner]

I am so unbelievably happy that Allwyn's is expanding in a non-terrible location! Tired of making that trek.

 

[Uncle Meat]

I noticed the quite a few of the newly planted trees along the Emerald Park perimeter sidewalks are sick. Have a close look at the leaves:

 

[Uncle Meat]

"EmeraldPark supermarket is worst of the 3 supermarket location since it's hidden in rear of 2nd floor with no Yonge Street frontage, lack of visibility, no Yonge Street entrance and on the low density side of Yonge Street"

Is that not irrelevant if a large sign were to be posted fronting Yonge (and on both sides of the building next to Yonge). ? There seems to be a framework for the extra sign already in place next to the LCBO sign.

 

[Armour]

Is Allwyn's expanding or moving? I sure hope it is the former. It's right in my neck of the woods.

 

[dsantesteban]

I know I'm going back a bit, but this looks like it's going to be an entrance (presumably the accessible one) from Poyntz Road.

 

[junctionist]

Did they have to remove some of the tile mural to build the new entrance?

 

[sunnyraytoronto]

I know I'm going back a bit, but this looks like it's going to be an entrance (presumably the accessible one) from Poyntz Road.

That certainly is an interesting idea. Problem is it's about 100m from TTC Poyntz automatic turnstiles to the corner you pointed out on Sheppard Stubway platform - thus, they'll have to dig quite a bit for that accessible tunnel and redo some of the ventilation equipment. My guess it that corner was originally supposed to be a newspaper stand or washrooms (leaning towards the washrooms since I see TTC staff go in and out that door once in awhile), but since the volume never materialized on Sheppard Stubway, it never opened. That Sheppard Stubway platform can't even support the Cinnabon cart that used to be there.

This is a lousy photo but it shows southend of Sheppard-Yonge station on Yonge line,.... looking south,... to the right of the escalators (mostly hidden by pillars) are doors for TTC employees utility rooms,.... which would have been eliminated for accessible passage leading to elevators to Poyntz automatic turnstile entrance level. A similar accessibility tunnel conversion was done at north end of YorkMills subway platform - it's relatively standard for these type of conversion when dealing with centre platform. Problem was TTC and city planning couldn't get Tridel HullmarkCentre and Bazis EmeraldPark to shell out the money the TTC wanted to do the conversion.

 

[sunnyraytoronto]

"EmeraldPark supermarket is worst of the 3 supermarket location since it's hidden in rear of 2nd floor with no Yonge Street frontage, lack of visibility, no Yonge Street entrance and on the low density side of Yonge Street"

Is that not irrelevant if a large sign were to be posted fronting Yonge (and on both sides of the building next to Yonge). ? There seems to be a framework for the extra sign already in place next to the LCBO sign.

The signage only show you that establishment is inside the mall somewhere,..... here's SheppardCentre,... Only CIBC shows you where the CIBC bank is,.... all other signage are far from the actual store/bank,.... TD is in basement west side middle, Shoppers in basement south and Winners on upper floor north,...

Signage would help but it won't entice people in,.... across the street, street-level WholeFoodsMarket is enticing with outdoor patio, welcoming streetscape design, clearly identified doors and much busier cafe at front of the store!

Here's rendering of SheppardCentre Yonge street frontage with Longo clearly visible above streetlevel - the inside of Longos will be visible from Yonge Street.

EmeraldPark second floor supermarket has no visibility from Yonge Street, it's hidden in the back behind the LCBO. Furthermore, EmeraldPark retail space doesn't have a main door on Yonge Street, only in the middle of Poyntz with smaller doors at the corners on the side streets. Once people find their way into EmeraldPark retail mall, they must then navigate through the unconventional "C" shaped first floor retail floor plan to find elevator or escalator to 2nd floor supermarket. Sure after they do it once, they'll figure it out,.... but will they return? Especially when the other 2 supermarkets are so much more enticing in terms of their Yonge Street frontage visibility and streetscape design?

 

[Digger]

I know I'm going back a bit, but this looks like it's going to be an entrance (presumably the accessible one) from Poyntz Road.

Behind the hoarding is going to be a supervisors control room apparently. It was supposed to be retail but this never happened. I doubt it has anything to do with a Poyntz entrance.

 

[I'mabeliever]

From Sheppard-Yonge subway station, south entrance at automatic turnstile level,... green door is hoarding for EmeraldPark pedestrian subway tunnel (first and second image). In second image, orange tarp is ventilation shaft opening, steele door beside it should be for EmeraldPark residents entrance-access to their P2 parking level,... towards the right, you see stairway up to street-level - 2 flights..... elevator is hidden. As you can see, tile and flooring is done on this part of EmeraldPark pedestrian subway tunnel (Poyntz exit), they seem to be working on electrical now.

Third image shows, EmeraldPark subway entrance from street level looking down stairway, where only drywall is finished,... still need painting, tiles and flooring,..... ditto for the EmeraldPark residents enterance-access to their P2 parking level.


View attachment 79951 View attachment 79952 View attachment 79953

Unfortunately all the facts are not accurate within this post ... the steel door next to the orange tarp is the door to air shaft (not for Emerald Park residents). But what do I know, I am a newbie and this is only my second post.

 

[sunnyraytoronto]

Unfortunately all the facts are not accurate within this post ... the steel door next to the orange tarp is the door to air shaft (not for Emerald Park residents). But what do I know, I am a newbie and this is only my second post.

OK,.... you're right, the door beside the ventshaft is the service door to access the ventshaft area. I "liked" your post so you'll start getting some "street-creds".

First image shows, construction cement-framing stage of EmeraldPark vent shaft,... and gap to the right of skinny wooden framing is for door to ventshaft.

Second image shows similar service door beside ventshaft at HullmarkCentre southentrance,.... third image shows similar service door beside ventshaft at Sheppard Stubway level of Sheppard-Yonge station.

 

[sunnyraytoronto]

Behind the hoarding is going to be a supervisors control room apparently. It was supposed to be retail but this never happened. I doubt it has anything to do with a Poyntz entrance.

That makes sense,.... a few years ago TTC started Group Station Managers (each responsible for 8 stations) and more local Station Managers who tend to be stationed at busy subway stations and service nearby stations as well, for customer services issues. At Sheppard-Yonge station, for the last 2 years or so the Station Managers have been using the cramped old collector booth at the south entrance (Poyntz) as their monitoring centre. The new supervisor control room will be more central to Sheppard-Yonge station,.....

BTW, the old collector booth for south-Poyntz entrance was decommissioned about 25 years ago and converted to automatic turnstile,.... then in the late 1990's they started building Avondale Condominium community directly south of this entrance,... about 15 condo towers now. The unmanned Poyntz-Anndale (south HullmarkCentre) entrance (automatic turnstile) is far busier than the new north HullmarkCentre entrance on Sheppard Stubway line which has a collector operator.