Toronto X2 Condominiums | 160.93m | 49s | Lifetime | Wallman Architects

Another majestic look:

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^Nice shot. It's nice when photographers frame their pics with some foliage at or around the top of the shot. Really adds to the warmth of the shot, espcially when taking pictures of cold metal, concrete, and glass.
 
Thanks MikeO! Here's another, though the tree looks a little sad:

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They are framing and installing the glazing for the mechanical levels now. Yesterday I noticed that the north side is at least partly done.
 
I don't imagine anyone has heard any birds chirping about what is going into the retail?
With this stunning gateway onto Charles St. nearing completion, it would be ideal to sort out the street/pedestrian crossing mess at the corner here in the next year or so. I could be wrong, but I believe that was the only part of the Jarvis Street beautification project that didn't get voted down and remained on the books.
 
dt_toronto_geek said:
I don't imagine anyone has heard any birds chirping about what is going into the retail?
With this stunning gateway onto Charles St. nearing completion, it would be ideal to sort out the street/pedestrian crossing mess at the corner here in the next year or so. I could be wrong, but I believe that was the only part of the Jarvis Street beautification project that didn't get voted down and remained on the books.
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Shoppers Drug Mart is what I've been told
 
The type of small, engaging and dynamic retail that people expect here *cannot* afford the units in new condominium developments. It's a rare day when a mom'n'pop store locates in a new development downtown.

Why are people continually surprised when a Pizza Pizza, Shoppers, or Subway moves into these spaces? It's rare that our city plays hardball with developers and seeks to make an array of different retail spaces / rent costs, so don't expect that to change anytime soon.

That said, Shoppers would be good by me. They're just too damned convenient.
 
modern™ said:
That said, _____________ would be good by me. They're just too damned convenient.
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This is really the key part to me, and is the reason that things like banks, Shoppers and Starbucks keep moving in (not sure I've seen a Pizza Pizza take a spot in a new condo before). People actually want them there, that's precisely why they can afford to pay those high rents.
 
modern™ said:
The type of small, engaging and dynamic retail that people expect here *cannot* afford the units in new condominium developments. It's a rare day when a mom'n'pop store locates in a new development downtown.

Why are people continually surprised when a Pizza Pizza, Shoppers, or Subway moves into these spaces? It's rare that our city plays hardball with developers and seeks to make an array of different retail spaces / rent costs, so don't expect that to change anytime soon.

That said, Shoppers would be good by me. They're just too damned convenient.
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Why should the city force the developers to have mom-and-pop stores or whatever else? If I moved in here I would want a Shoppers more than any other retail. If the city forced some mom-and-pop store on me I'd be very displeased. The market should decide these things.
 
That's your opinion. Just like you have that opinion, there are lots of people who feel that what the market dictates for a city is not always the right thing. Yes, Shoppers and Starbucks are in-demand, but they also have the advantage of affording high retail rents.

Not everyone wants their neighbourhood to be wall-to-wall corporate chains and completely gentrified.
 
modern™ said:
That's your opinion. Just like you have that opinion, there are lots of people who feel that what the market dictates for a city is not always the right thing. Yes, Shoppers and Starbucks are in-demand, but they also have the advantage of affording high retail rents.

Not everyone wants their neighbourhood to be wall-to-wall corporate chains and completely gentrified.
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I get that, but when the market decides, it means that the residents get some say in their own retail. If a store isn't profitable, it goes under. There is demand for Shoppers and Starbucks, which is why we see them everywhere. I admit that as a passer by, I would want more variety in retail, but if I lived there I would be much more selfish.
 
modern™ said:
Not everyone wants their neighbourhood to be wall-to-wall corporate chains and completely gentrified.
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That's fine, so long as those same people aren't regularly shopping at those corporate chains. I'd be very interested to see how often those who decry, for example, a Starbucks going into a new retail space are themselves patronizing Starbucks.

If locals want to have adorable little indie shops and the like move in, they better be willing to actually go in there and lay down their hard-earned cash on a recurring basis. Otherwise the whole thing's just a cartoonish facade.

Sure, as someone going on a nice little walk around town, I'd prefer to see interesting independent retail, because it makes for a more interesting city, but I'm going to walk by and go "Oh, how cute", probably not really buy anything, then walk back to my own condo and get a Frappuccino on the way. I'd love for my condo to have a Shoppers, a bank and a Starbucks at the bottom and the rest of the neighbourhood to be super interesting and quirky independent retail but that would be selfish and unrealistic, because everyone wants the convenience of a Shoppers, a bank and a Starbucks at the bottom of their condo.
 
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