Toronto One Bedford | ?m | 32s | Lanterra | KPMB

Not to mention Queen West, the Beaches, College Street and all sorts of places where Victorian houses were converted to retail uses.
 
we are stuck with these old victorians trying to perform functions they're incapable of.
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I seem to recall all of those stores being very busy (one was the first ever swiss chalet and the Mr. Sub had been there over 25 years).

Sure the adaptive commercial reuse isn't pretty to look at, but to go as far as to say they aren't capable of performing a retail function goes a little far - from a business perspective those establishments were very popular and profitable.
 
That was a tremendously successful, organically-developed retail strip. Anybody who purports to believe in anything Jane Jacobs has ever said should be mourning its loss. I was speaking to the owner of one of the evicted businesses and she said that the condo developers were refusing to rent to any retail outlet that isn't part of a large chain.
 
It's a bit different when they're the first outlets in the chain. Anyway, I'm not opposed to the idea of a big condo around there. I'd love to see one built on St. George station. What really upsets me is that condo buildings tend to be so narrow-minded when it comes to the businesses they allow to lease their retail space.
 
Unimaginative is right to be concerned about this retail strip. While it's nice to have the increased height and density at this site, new condos don't have a good track record for creating an interesting street level. Is there a reason why we tend to see the same dull retail in condos? It's always a dry cleaner, a Mega-Wraps, a dentist's office and if we're lucky, a convenience store. Is there some reason we never see a record store, a funky clothing store or some sort of independent eatery in new condo developments?

Sure this strip wasn't the best or most attractive, but based on precedent it'll probably get even duller.
 
I think it depends on the neighbourhood. My building has a coffee place, a fireplace store, and Neo Set (aka French Ikea). Other apartment buildings in my hood have furniture stores, grocery stores, movie theatres, dry cleaners (people need cleaners), video rental places, mani-pedi places (people need pedicures). It all makes for vibrant and varied shops and services.
 
If I was a condo developer I think I would want to encourage the sort of retail that would appeal to the residents of the building and the surrounding area: a bakery, green grocer, coffee shop, up-scale drug store, that sort of thing.
 
Is there a reason why we tend to see the same dull retail in condos?
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I agree, this is so often the case. In my second condo it opened it's retail area with a TV studio, a designer clothing store, a name-brand Canadian coffee franchise and a smelly "Lush" outlet (thankfully that didn't last!). A CD store took over Lush, it's gone now and replaced by a specialty food store and the TV studio pulled out. Good mix of decent retail there which serves the neighbourhood well.
 
"Is there a reason why we tend to see the same dull retail in condos?"

they are basically all owned by the same few retail property investors (probably why you rarely here the term 'retail condominium' eventhough a considerable amount are being constructed)
 
they are basically all owned by the same few retail property investors
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I think it's also because of the spaces as well as their location.. Most condo retail spaces (at least until recently) have been small and low-ceilinged, so not ideal for high-end retail.

At the same time, they're rarely located on shopping strips with lots of pedestrian traffic, so niche-y shops (like indie record stores) don't work well either.

It seems that exceptions like AP's building (on King East, yes?) prove the rule.
 
If I was a condo developer I think I would want to encourage the sort of retail that would appeal to the residents of the building and the surrounding area: a bakery, green grocer, coffee shop, up-scale drug store, that sort of thing.
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Actually, the develpers don't give a tinker's damn what sort of retail goes in. Once the building is finished, the developer is out of the picture - the retail units belong to their owners.
 
I agree, this is so often the case. In my second condo it opened it's retail area with a TV studio, a designer clothing store, a name-brand Canadian coffee franchise and a smelly "Lush" outlet (thankfully that didn't last!). A CD store took over Lush, it's gone now and replaced by a specialty food store and the TV studio pulled out. Good mix of decent retail there which serves the neighbourhood well.
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Methinks you live at the Alexis Morel Carrington Colby Dexter Rowan condo, right?
 
I wonder how feasible/desirable it would be to require some buildings, like One Bedford, to incorporate "exceptional retail" in their designs. Instead of having just a row of retail along the ground floor that essentially is an extension of the building (or is hidden behind supports, a la Bay Street), the retail or part of it (on a corner, for instance) might be designed to stand out from the crowd, as it were, to encourage destination retail. In Amsterdam I saw an example of residential building, like many residential buildings near it, all without retail, that had one fantastic space being used as a restaurant. Clearly, the building had been designed to incorporate this retail.

Amsterdam.jpg


I really liked the way that it seemed so thoughtful, as well as being beautiful.

It seems to me the danger of this approach is that you might end up with hard-to-use or under-used retail (a dry cleaner in the space above, for instance) if the commercial area isn't that viable. It would certainly be opposed by developers and condo associations, for some valid reasons, but I'd be interested in seeing this approach for some buildings in more sensitive retail locations.
 
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