Toronto Hullmark Centre | 167.94m | 45s | Tridel | Kirkor Architects

Now that the Sheppard-Yonge southend (Poyntz) east side entrance/exit is closed to be rebuilt into the south tower of HullmarkCentre at the north-east corner of Yonge & Anndale Drive. At the south-east corner of Yonge & Anndale Drive - the Menke/Proctor&Gamble building management are being jerks again, they have their own subway entrance/exit and they could have extended the hours their Subway entrance on the east side of Yonge Street to help all those transit users from east side,... especially those from the approximately 15 Condominiums southeast of this subway entrance. Instead building management choose to keep their regular hours,... forcing many local transit users to use the west subway entrance/exit at Poyntz and then cross Yonge Street to get to the east side,... as you can see in the photo.
View attachment 15221


From the subway connection between the underground Poyntz exit and the Menke-Proctor&Gamble building,... where their building management always lock the doors after business hours,... transit users goes through the small lower concourse level of the Menke-Proctor&Gamble building where all the stores there are locked with glass doors,... then transit users go up the escalator to the main floor of the Menke-Proctor&Gamble building towards the doors which are about 25 feet from the top of the escalators. And what's at the top of these escalators? The security desk that always has at least one security guard. In addition, there's security camera all over this building,... both inside and outside.

As you can see from the photos,... after hours there's a security guard at the security desk at the top of the escalator,.... and another security guard (bright yellow jacket) posted at their subway entrance guarding the closed locked doors.

This isn't an American embassy,..... it's the Proctor&Gamble building,... what security reason?,... what are people going to steal??? Diapers and toilet paper??? ;p

There are plenty of building in NYCC and throughout Toronto (including those in the PATH system downtown) with direct subway access that remains open well after regular business hours and throughout the weekend to allow access for transit users. That SHOULD be a condition in the contract they sign with the TTC. The problem is the Menke-Proctor&Gamble building was built about 10 years before all the condos started popping up in this area.

View attachment 15239View attachment 15240


As you'll recall,... earlier this month I was ranting about the southern Sheppard-Yonge entrance at Poyntz being restricted,... the east side entrance is closed to build the HullmarkCentre south subway entrance and Menke's Proctor&Gamble building is only open during regular business hours (closed after 7pm and all weekend),.... forcing everyone to use the west-side Poyntz entrance on the west side of Yonge Street,... meaning people who live in the Avondale condos have to cross Yonge Street to use the Poyntz entrance.

Anyways,.. this west-side Poyntz entrance is now closed! Thanks to a car accident that damaged the entrance,... there was another car accident in the exact same spot damaging the exact same area a couple of months ago and it took the TTC about a month to fix that one (notice the steel barrier they put up to replace the cement wall) and the west side Poyntz entrance was closed all that time.

Anyways,... now with the west side Poyntz exit closed for repairs,... probably for a month... that means the only viable subway entrance at the southern end of the Sheppard-Yonge subway station is through the Menke-Proctor&Gamble building,... which of course they'll only open during office hours!,... about 8am to 7pm Monday to Friday,... and closed all weekend.

IMG_2490.jpg
IMG_2465.jpg
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2490.jpg
    IMG_2490.jpg
    90.5 KB · Views: 1,649
  • IMG_2465.jpg
    IMG_2465.jpg
    87.2 KB · Views: 1,806
Update: WOW, the TTC actually fixed that west side Poyntz entrance for the Sheppard-Yonge subway station today. Ok,... maybe not fixed, but they cleaned up metal debris and broken hand railing so that they can safely open the entrance,... yeh! When similar damage was done by another car accident at this same entrance a few months ago, it took about a month for the TTC to fix it and reopen the entrance. I guess, they put a priority on it this time.

BTW, I also ranted about this issue to our local Ward 23 Willowdale Councillor John Filion,.... so maybe Councillor Filion and his staff had something to do with this getting fixed so fast.

The south entrance for Hullmark Centre across the street should be open in early October,... this west-side Poyntz TTC subway entrance should be replaced with a new one when EmeraldPark opens in about a year.

Still shocked that the TTC fix it so quickly,.... Maybe pigs really can fly!

IMG_2513.jpg
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2513.jpg
    IMG_2513.jpg
    90.7 KB · Views: 1,270
I'm sick and tired of certain individuals continuously insulting NYCC. I'd like to know how many of you people actually live in the area, because if you did you clearly wouldn't say something so untrue.

....

I also believe that Hullmark, and Emerald, and Gibson, and the other buildings will add to the area in their own way. Sure, it's not Yonge and Eglinton, or Queen Street west, or High Park, but it doesn't need to be. It is its own neighborhood with people living there. And surprisingly enough, they're not all rich immigrants mooching off Toronto. Instead, they are young families, singles, couples, seniors, children, together creating a community that has every right to be treated as a good place to live.

Perhaps I should have let such a glib comment slide, but enough is enough. NYCC is a community that may not get international award winning architects, it may not get the best planning, but it is clean, accessible, and modern.

If you have an issue with a building, by all means insult that building and we can have a discussion about your critique. But to insult a community with those base comments is demeaning and doesn't belong in this thread.


I agree that NYCC gets an unfair rep. I had an internship at Yonge & Empress last year and loved how busy the area was during the weekday lunch hour with workers and residents walking the streets and taking their lunch to Mel Lastman Square. You are also a stone's throw from Old Willowdale which has some great remnants of the pre-Lastman, pre-stucco era, including the John McKenzie house and community garden.

If you live in the area you are right on the subway line, and can walk to the movie theatre, two major supermarkets, an LCBO, Future Shop, banks, library and a rec centre within 5 minutes. North of Eglinton you cannot find a more walkable area with that number of amenities. Did I mention that condo prices are dramatically lower than downtown, yet you can still get to Yonge & Bloor in 20 minutes?

Obviously there are some limitations to the area. The local schools are grossly over crowded, the restaurant choices are limited with franchises like Moxie's and Milestones dominating (although they are also taking over downtown), the condo architecture isn't stellar and you won't find any boho coffee shops. But considering its more immediate environs NYCC has to be viewed as a success.
 
Last edited:
One of my favourite projects right now, the execution is as good as it gets (looks exactly like the renders if not better). I really do wish they'd build something like this on the 501 Yonge site. I know it's a massive podium, but with a multi-level shopping centre on the inside (and perhaps a movie theatre) mixed with retail at grade, it would be quite awesome.
 
Aug 8
They are almost ready to open the south street. It is only missing the sidewalks and they are working on it now.

More up on site
9504413090_43a9e6cb91_b.jpg


9501614861_1d03c25cf2_b.jpg


9504419274_586ff9ed92_b.jpg


9501678821_a3abbba584_b.jpg


9501384901_cb5e044387_b.jpg


9501392209_89f52448bf_b.jpg


9504204414_4bce1a8f49_b.jpg


9504212932_eb6f90cbd1_b.jpg


9501414199_21d4ff256d_b.jpg


9504226588_536bbcd5de_b.jpg
 
The south street looks to be open now, but I think it is only for vehicle access to the Proctor & Gamble underground parking. It says no pedestrian access.
 
Subway entrance for south tower will reopen in October,..... So I would assume Wholes food should open about then,... Tricky part is north tower is still under construction,... And will not top up until next spring,...
 
The Sheppard-Yonge south entrance-exit (Poyntz) on the east side of Yonge will be closed from July 2nd to October 2013. So that it can be rebuilt to connect to the south tower of Tridel Hullmark Centre. So it seems like the south tower of Hullmark Centre will be open in October,...

The west side entrance-exit will remain during this time.

The north tower is behind schedule,... it's subway entrance will connect to the upper Sheppard-Yonge station on the eastbound platform,... where signs say those entrance-exits will be finished in "early 2014"

View attachment 15169


Even though the Notice Posters in the Yonge-Sheppard TTC subway station close to the Poyntz exit informs us that they expect the Poyntz East Side TTC subway entrance (now Anndale Entrance at Hullmark Centre south tower) to reopen in October,.... my sources tells me, they are ahead of schedule and we should expect that TTC subway entrance to reopen by the end of September.
 
The driveway entrance to the Menke/Proctor&Gamble building has now been closed off and the road between that building and the Hullmark site has now been opened and connected to Bales Ave. The Menke/Proctor&Gamble driveway now connects to that road via an entrance on the building's north side.

Hullmark-Road1.jpg
Hullmark-Road2.jpg
 

Attachments

  • Hullmark-Road1.jpg
    Hullmark-Road1.jpg
    89.1 KB · Views: 1,069
  • Hullmark-Road2.jpg
    Hullmark-Road2.jpg
    95.6 KB · Views: 1,023
Yes, the Menke/Proctor&Gamble regular driveway is now closed off by fencing,.. temporarily,.. while they do work on it.

Examining the new sidewalk in front of that driveway,... you will notice the regular 4 inch high curb in front of the former westbound exit out of that driveway,... so that westbound (outgoing) driveway lane will be deleted. But you will also notice (in front of pylons) the flat level curb in front of the eastbound lane of that driveway,... so it appears that part of the eastbound (incoming) driveway lane will be kept and allow northbound Yonge traffic to turn right into the eastbound (incoming) driveway lane of the Menke/Proctor&Gamble regular driveway.

As noted in your photo, they have also extended the northbound Yonge stop white line to the new Anndale Avenue extension,... whereas before it was at the other (south) side of the Menke/Proctor&Gamble regular driveway.

More intersection work at this intersection over the next few weeks.
 
Last edited:

Back
Top