kade1064
Active Member
Woodbine mall just needs a good renovation! not this amazon CRAP!
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Woodbine Centre
- Thread starter slickpete83
- Start date
J-M-Z
Active Member
There is one way to save the Woodbine Centre:
if a certain landlord submits a few applications to rezone Amazon's Fulfillment Centres in the GTA .....into more Closeout King locations.
Kind of fighting fire with liquidated fire here, but nobody said it would be pretty.
if a certain landlord submits a few applications to rezone Amazon's Fulfillment Centres in the GTA .....into more Closeout King locations.
Kind of fighting fire with liquidated fire here, but nobody said it would be pretty.
FW36
Active Member
I feel as if with the extension of the finch west lrt and casino woodbine/ a residential or mix-use development would make more sense
J-M-Z
Active Member
The one thing Amazon can't replace is our memories of the Woodbine Centre. Here's some exterior shots from 1994:
On the right, you'll notice the daycare playground that was operated by Humber College.
I envy that customer making their way into the Woodbine of '94.
All three photos submitted by Dhillon Singh.
One restaurant inside the Woodbine Centre that generally evokes pleasant recollections is J.J. Muggs.
An original J.J. Muggs matchbook.
Another matchbook. Just in case one wasn't enough.
J.J. Muggs wasn't the only establishment that catered to Humber College students. I imagine the even-closer (and now closed)
Shanghai restaurant at the corner of Highway 27 & Humber Boulevard was often frequented for the restaurant's lunch buffet, too.
Both clippings were provided by Eugenio Arcilesi.
Lisa Sherwin-French provided a photo of the beer stein she brought home from her night at J.J. Muggs.
Some Torontonians may also remember Frank Vetere's Pizzeria. A popular Toronto restaurant that also
allowed customers to take home their glasses.
On the right, you'll notice the daycare playground that was operated by Humber College.
I envy that customer making their way into the Woodbine of '94.
All three photos submitted by Dhillon Singh.
One restaurant inside the Woodbine Centre that generally evokes pleasant recollections is J.J. Muggs.
An original J.J. Muggs matchbook.
Another matchbook. Just in case one wasn't enough.
J.J. Muggs wasn't the only establishment that catered to Humber College students. I imagine the even-closer (and now closed)
Shanghai restaurant at the corner of Highway 27 & Humber Boulevard was often frequented for the restaurant's lunch buffet, too.
Both clippings were provided by Eugenio Arcilesi.
Lisa Sherwin-French provided a photo of the beer stein she brought home from her night at J.J. Muggs.
Some Torontonians may also remember Frank Vetere's Pizzeria. A popular Toronto restaurant that also
allowed customers to take home their glasses.
Maco in the 6
New Member
The August 6th 1985 edition of the Toronto Star featured a special 36-page section dedicated to the opening of the Woodbine Centre. It's filled with articles, photos, interviews, and advertisements related to the mall.
Here is the original mall directory when it first opened.
Here is the original mall directory when it first opened.
Amare
Senior Member
Wow those are some throwback names: RadioShack, Laura Secord, Black's, Tan Jay, Town & Country, Marks & Spencer!
Those were quite the names back in the day, wow this slumlord screwed this mall up severely since its heydays.
Those were quite the names back in the day, wow this slumlord screwed this mall up severely since its heydays.
Towered
Superstar
Yup - from a bunch of A-list retailers in the 80's to utter trash now.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
Well, in a way Amazon moving in would be a coda to the huge change in retail over the past half-century. The 60s-80s mall heydays aren't coming back. In terms of planning failure in this town, I think this one ranks pretty low - and I am not sure how much of it is due to city policies.
I wonder if film studios might be a better use for the site.
AoD
I wonder if film studios might be a better use for the site.
AoD
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Northern Light
Superstar
Agreed w/the caveat that some malls have continued to perform; those that have deep-pocketed owners willing and able to evolve their properties.
Clearly the ownership group here does not fit that bill.
This mall was always oddly situated; as retail, its only hope, ever, was to be a 'destination' centre drawing from a large swath of the region.
That was clearly the intent with 2 major anchors, cinemas, a food court (when that was a relatively new concept) and an indoor theme park.
I don't think it ever really hit the heights it aspired to (for what it is)...............but certainly, under investment hobbled this site long ago.
It probably is better repurposed for employment; I would certainly prefer film studios to a fulfillment centre in terms of driving higher-wage employment.
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AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
I don't know if deep pocket is sufficient - you need to have a mall that already have a critical mass of retailers that actually wanted to be there. I don't think Woodbine has that, or is sitting in a catchment area desirable to the these retailers - and even then, the region can only support so many of those grade A malls (just think in North/West GTA - you have Yorkdale, Sherway and Square One sucking up all the oxygen).
AoD
Northern Light
Superstar
No question that it does not have that now (the retailers); but it once did.
The catchment, like its namesake racetrack/casino would have to be regional, not local; but in its current state, that ship has sailed.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
Yeah, except the demographics of the area changed mid 80s onward - and retail itself has changed as well. If anything I can see it happening over at Woodbine Live as some new format, semi-outdoors thing in the future. Woodbine Mall? It's an anachronism.
AoD
J-M-Z
Active Member
It's common knowledge now, but I was doing some background research once again on the current owner of Woodbine.
Besides Closeout King, Mr. Hinn also owns the Rexdale Plaza. Technically, the "mall" might just be the former Towers/Zellers building and it's
redesign as a no-name mini mall.. The fate of that building in its current state should have been the writing on the wall for how Woodbine would
be treated.
Besides Closeout King, Mr. Hinn also owns the Rexdale Plaza. Technically, the "mall" might just be the former Towers/Zellers building and it's
redesign as a no-name mini mall.. The fate of that building in its current state should have been the writing on the wall for how Woodbine would
be treated.
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kade1064
Active Member
Mr. Hinn IS TRASH! ruining a groudbreaking mall, for his own pleasures!
J-M-Z
Active Member
Special thanks to Eugenio Arcilesi for providing this photo of Simpsons at the Woodbine Centre circa 1985:
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