Aura is different - those units were sold as strata titles, not leased by the commercial landlord. Besides, the empty storefronts there are not visible from street level. I do think there should be a penalty if the storefronts are street-facing - they're unsightly and kill street life. No sympathy for 1 Bloor E landlord - after all, their units are located at a prime location (again, unlike Aura's basement), a lot of businesses would love to be at Yonge & Bloor if the rent/ lease makes commercial sense. While the loss of some tenants (Starbucks, Nordstrom) was beyond the landlord's control, there's no excuse for letting the Bloor St units remain vacant for the past 7 years or so (except for ex Tokyo Smoke). Like I said, those units would have been snapped up if the rent was reasonable.
