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The Toronto Eaton Centre, one of the most heavily trafficked locations in Toronto’s Downtown Core, is in the headlines again with an update to improve the shopping mall's role as a lively and vibrant destination. Partnering with Oliver and Bonacini Hospitality, Cadillac Fairview’s latest update to the centre will see the development of a new boutique "chef-driven" culinary experience, dubbed Queen’s Cross, added onto the existing food hall.
Targeting an opening date in Fall 2023, Queen’s Cross contemplates the transformation of 19,000 ft² of the shopping centre’s closed south end food court to create a renewed dining area housing 15 restaurant stalls with seating for 300 guests. The project has a distinct design vision, from full-service creative design studio Solid Design Creative, that seeks to inject vibrancy into an industrial-style space with auxiliary elements like greenery and neon signage.
"As a landmark destination in the city, we are constantly evolving our retail and dining mix to suit the needs of our visitors, and we are thrilled to collaborate with the visionaries at O&B to bring Queen's Cross to CF Toronto Eaton Centre," said Sheila Jennings, General Manager at Cadillac Fairview. "The addition of Queen's Cross not only amplifies, but also greatly expands, the dining options across the north to south ends of the centre, and we're delighted to deliver this elevated and approachable food hall experience to our guests."
In terms of changes to the existing food hall, brinigng Queen’s Cross to life will require revisions to the space to improve mobility and accessibility. Three new staircases are proposed to create new access to the mall’s Level 1 from the South Court area at ground level, while elevator improvements including the expansion of the existing cabs will allow for more convenient access for families with strollers.
Food offerings at Queen’s Cross are being curated to celebrate the diversity of Toronto’s multicultural food scene. The global selection includes a mix of quick-service brands and off-shoots of existing O&B restaurants including Maison Selby and the nearby Leña, with such named concepts as:
- Le Petit Cornichon
- Captain Neon Sushi + Bowls
- Curryosity
- Gil's Fish & Chipperie
- Red Sauce
- Swanky Burger
- Lala's Cantina
- Underground Sandwich
- Happy Tangle
- Beauty's Fried Chicken
- Cross Bar – coffee and lounge
While shopping malls across the GTA are facing challenging times, the Eaton Centre is aiming at staying relevant as forces like changing shopping habits and increased housing demands put the large spaces that more suburban malls represent under the spotlight of redevelopment. In an already highly developed urban setting, and the $77-million retrofitting of the mall’s galleria skylight still ongoing, Queen’s Cross represents another aggressive push in the evolution of this landmark shopping centre.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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