Toronto Sun Life Financial Tower & Harbour Plaza Residences | 236.51m | 67s | Menkes | Sweeny &Co

[jaybe]

The blank wall really is questionable, especially when you consider the multi-story parking garage on Queens Quay just south and east of the park that is at the corner of York and QQ. Not exactly attractive surroundings. This is a premier tourist location. Something more integrated with the street as opposed to a blank wall is needed here.

 

[arvelomcquaig]

Far from it - the Four Seasons Centre south facade is far more devastating from an urbanistic standpoint, and it doesn't have the benefit of being hemmed in by an expressway.

Speaking of this podium - I wonder what the horizontal slits are for? Signage/ads?

AoD

That’s what it reminded me of. I think it’s as architecturally hostile, though yeah, at least it’s not as conspicuous.

 

[interchange42]

Not that I have any particular insight into the exterior design or intentions here, but I would hope that the wall becomes a backdrop for fabric banners that might change seasonally for whichever retailers end up in the complex. I'm thinking high-design—not simple , standard, typical, crass advertising—more like some of the banners that appear on lampposts on University and other main streets from time to time. The charcoal tone of the stone will certainly set off anything suspended in front of it.

Inside the building for the moment though, it's scramble time for Menkes as they figure out how to lease the space. Where a lot of other landlords have existing malls with a particular tone to them already, Menkes has to set the tone with whatever anchor comes in here. Chatter includes grocery retailers like Sobeys, etc., or big-boxers like Walmart, Canadian Tire and IKEA… but of course it will all have to do with configurability and suitability of the space and loading/parking facilities, and how close those retailers have existing stores.

It appears that the bulk of the 145,000 sq ft space that Target was going to take was on the third floor, with a lot on the second floor, plus an entrance area on the ground floor on Harbour Street immediately east of the office tower. Based on renderings in our dataBase file, you can see that a PATH network hallway extends along the north side of the second floor, presumably all the way from the PATH bridge from ACC to where escalators connect the PATH to ground level at York Street. The the east-west and north-south PATH hallways on the second floor, it would be easy enough to cut the second floor space up for more, smaller retailers, while leaving the third floor exclusively for a large retailer who can pull people up another escalator to shop.

There will also be a number of retailers opening onto Harbour Street below the east half of the podium, and without direct connections to the interior mall as best as I can figure from the preliminary plans in the City's background files. Those spaces should be attractive to retailers and shoppers once the Yonge-York-Bay off-ramps are taken down and replaced elsewhere.

Looking forward to seeing how this all comes together.

42

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Too bad the space isn't flexible enough to accommodate a movie theatre at this late stage.

AoD

 

[Miscreant]

Yeah, now, that would be an idea though. A move theater down here would be well-served.

 

[ptbotrmpfn]

blank wall or bland. Either way its kinda boring. colors are nice but maybe some fins where the slits are or an add or something.

 

[G.L.17]

Too bad the space isn't flexible enough to accommodate a movie theatre at this late stage.

AoD

Maybe 60 Habour could do that next door whenever they decide to develop that property.

 

[ProjectEnd]

Not that I have any particular insight into the exterior design or intentions here, but I would hope that the wall becomes a backdrop for fabric banners that might change seasonally for whichever retailers end up in the complex. I'm thinking high-design—not simple , standard, typical, crass advertising—more like some of the banners that appear on lampposts on University and other main streets from time to time. The charcoal tone of the stone will certainly set off anything suspended in front of it.

Inside the building for the moment though, it's scramble time for Menkes as they figure out how to lease the space. Where a lot of other landlords have existing malls with a particular tone to them already, Menkes has to set the tone with whatever anchor comes in here. Chatter includes grocery retailers like Sobeys, etc., or big-boxers like Walmart, Canadian Tire and IKEA… but of course it will all have to do with configurability and suitability of the space and loading/parking facilities, and how close those retailers have existing stores.

It appears that the bulk of the 145,000 sq ft space that Target was going to take was on the third floor, with a lot on the second floor, plus an entrance area on the ground floor on Harbour Street immediately east of the office tower. Based on renderings in our dataBase file, you can see that a PATH network hallway extends along the north side of the second floor, presumably all the way from the PATH bridge from ACC to where escalators connect the PATH to ground level at York Street. The the east-west and north-south PATH hallways on the second floor, it would be easy enough to cut the second floor space up for more, smaller retailers, while leaving the third floor exclusively for a large retailer who can pull people up another escalator to shop.

There will also be a number of retailers opening onto Harbour Street below the east half of the podium, and without direct connections to the interior mall as best as I can figure from the preliminary plans in the City's background files. Those spaces should be attractive to retailers and shoppers once the Yonge-York-Bay off-ramps are taken down and replaced elsewhere.

Looking forward to seeing how this all comes together.

42

Are you referring to the Preliminary and / or Final Reports for the project or is there a development portal for this that I can't find?

 

[Marcanadian]

IKEA plans to open up smaller "pickup" stores across Canada, so maybe if the space is broken up into smaller chunks, they'd be interested in the former Target space.

Also looks like Goodlife Fitness may step forward: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/goo...-former-target-stores-and-employees-1.2919823

 

[interchange42]

Too bad the space isn't flexible enough to accommodate a movie theatre at this late stage.

AoD

Yeah, now, that would be an idea though. A move theater down here would be well-served.

Maybe 60 Habour could do that next door whenever they decide to develop that property.

There are cinemas planned for the 1 Yonge redevelopment.

42

 

[interchange42]

Are you referring to the Preliminary and / or Final Reports for the project or is there a development portal for this that I can't find?

This is in both the Prelim and Final reports:

Retail can be seen in light gray facing Harbour Street along most of the frontage. The darker gray area was to be the Target entrance with escalators and elevators.

42

 

[utwatch]

I'm not sure if the whole foods has been confirmed for the Minto westside building yet but this might be a good location for one.

 

[Torontovibe]

There are cinemas planned for the 1 Yonge redevelopment.

42

That's great news!

 

[ProjectEnd]

This is in both the Prelim and Final reports:

Retail can be seen in light gray facing Harbour Street along most of the frontage. The darker gray area was to be the Target entrance with escalators and elevators.

42

Yep, got that, thanks. Just didn't know if there was also a full(er) drawing set available somewhere.

 

[wmedia]

This evening: