Toronto Union Park | 303.26m | 58s | Oxford Properties | Pelli Clarke Pelli

someMidTowner said:
As much as I hate Wal-Mart....the Oxford site is being handled by a starchitect and located in the downtown core so I doubt that it would be your typical Wal-Mart. In the unlikely event that a Wal-Mart is even built here (which i really find hard to believe) there would be no possibility of a surface parking or a bland banal walmart warehouse structure.
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Does Wal-Mart have any large urban stores at all that one could point to? At least I can easily think of a dozen downtown/urban Targets in the US, starting with the Minneapolis flagship. I certainly can see a large retail complex on Front, but to me, I don't see it as a prime location for Nordstrom or Simons, who I would think would prefer Yonge Street or Yorkville.
 
I'd have concerns about a 'mall' here too. I'd rather see retail thriving at Yonge/Dundas and up Yonge to Bloor/Yorkville, and a critical mass is needed for this is happen. In fact, a new suburban-style mall at the Oxford site (along with the already existing pressures of Ryerson's expansion into Yonge Street) could further erode the traditional urban commercial centre of the downtown core. Not a good idea!

As for the Oxford site in question, I say bring on the casino, hotels and convention centre to add to the pre-existing tourist infrastructure of the area.... and from this point of view a Walmart or Target may just make more sense!
 
"A mall is the most anti-urban expression of all"

Isn't this a very Euro-North American centric concept? Malls are the height of urban expression from an East-Asian perspective. I think transit node development with high density office and retail clusters around the nodes represent the preferred pattern to emulate here in the GTA. The fact that we associate malls and offices with cars and parking lots is an anomaly and likely confined to a brief footnote in the history of human civilization.
 
ShonTron said:
Does Wal-Mart have any large urban stores at all that one could point to? At least I can easily think of a dozen downtown/urban Targets in the US, starting with the Minneapolis flagship. I certainly can see a large retail complex on Front, but to me, I don't see it as a prime location for Nordstrom or Simons, who I would think would prefer Yonge Street or Yorkville.
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The only thing close to an urban Wal-Mart I have heard of is Wal-Mart express in the U.S. They are all pretty standard looking but I did find a concept rendering of what an urban WalMart could look like (although the render appears to be unofficial and not associated with any real plans)
northcross.wal-mart.jpg

Source
 
buildup said:
Not to get too far off topic, but wouldn't Nordstrom be a natural for 1 Bloor East?
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Its too small. Retail leasing plan is here:
http://www.firstgulf.com/pdf-property/One_Bloor.pdf

Its not that contiguous, which presumably could be fixed - but its only 95,000 square feet. Nordstrom would presumably want 150-250K. I'm not sure why One Bloor East was so conservative with their retail square footage.
 
elevationWeb.jpg


Google reveals this proposal for Washington DC. This is probably not a good example as it appears to be an existing space - not new construction. And it's probably a smaller store called a "Neighborhood Walmart" that focuses on food.

From a land-use perspective, there is no difference between Walmart and another big box store like Target besides the applicants name and signage. However, Target makes a genuine attempt to integrate into urban neighborhoods. Walmart doesn't deviate too much from what it likes to build in the suburbs. A food only store might work in this location, but hopefully Oxford will secure better retailers.

Having a casino and a Wal-Mart right next to each is just outright tacky. :)
 
Nordstrom, Simons,Target or Walmart in New Downtown Toronto Mall?

We have received word that Oxford Properties' proposed new Downtown Toronto shopping centre is already being eyed by retailers such as Nordstrom, La Maison Simons, Target and Walmart.
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If I were Oxford I would deny, deny, deny. Even the prospect of a Wal Mart, regardless of its architecture or street presence, will embolden casino opponents and maybe even bring over some soft casino supporters. An MGM style casino with a large American discount retailer would seriously harm the "improved urban environment" and "sophisticated entertainment" arguments peddled by casino backers.
 
fedplanner said:
elevationWeb.jpg


Google reveals this proposal for Washington DC. This is probably not a good example as it appears to be an existing space - not new construction. And it's probably a smaller store called a "Neighborhood Walmart" that focuses on food.
Click to expand...

Though given that it's DC and all, I wouldn't be surprised if it is a new (or newish) building that just happens to be hardcore retro-pomo a la the Reagan Building...
 
Just read through the last few pages....I wonder if the pro-casino folks have figured out this new strategy to garner public support for casinos...."Well, it's either a casino or a WalMart anchored mall.......you pick!" ;)
 
The following post is for fanboys only; 'scraper geeks. You know who you are. You will want to be alone when you read the rest of this post, unless you're into kinkier stuff. For those who aren't, you are advised to ask others to exit the room. Lock the door if you have a lock.

A source at City Hall intimately associated with this project has told me that three of the towers proposed here are taller than the Mirvish proposals, and the two to the east are proposed at… one thousand seventy feet each.

Have fun.

42
 
interchange42 said:
The following post is for fanboys only; 'scraper geeks. You know who you are. You will want to be alone when you read the rest of this post, unless you're into kinkier stuff. For those who aren't, you are advised to ask others to exit the room. Lock the door if you have a lock.

A source at City Hall intimately associated with this project has told me that three of the towers proposed here are taller than the Mirvish proposals, and the two to the east are proposed at… one thousand seventy feet each.

Have fun.

42
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If it's true, they would be the tallest buildings in Toronto. FCP is at 978 feet.
 
And it would hit the magical 300m mark everybody likes to talk about. 321m to be exact. To me, the important number to beat has always been 298m. (I would like a new tallest out of this boom, and it seems like we might get 2 now!)
 
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