These renderings remind me of North Streeterville/Gold Coast in Chicago. 1 Bloor E. would be the Hancock building :) My comments are meant as a compliment. I like Chicago very much.

From the plans posted earlier, it appears that there will no longer be below-grade retail at the new Cumberland Terrace? From what I can see in the drawings, retail will only be the ground floor and 1 - 2 floors above that. So they'd be filling in the hole currently occupied by the underground...

Looking at the building diagrams, I notice a significant connection between the Holt Renfrew store's second and third floors into this new project. Does anyone have insider information into how much, if any, of the Cumberland project will be occupied by an expanded Holt Renfrew? I recall a...

Suitability of the Y&B Bay for L&T I have a general question I'm throwing out, and one or more of you might have an answer. How 'suitable' is the Yonge and Bloor Bay space for a Lord & Taylor? From what I recall, the 'main floor' (1/2 floor up) has very low ceilings. As does the concourse...

Have you ever been to Vancouver? Almost every upscale store is downtown, except for a few at Oakridge Centre. The rest of Vancouver's suburban malls are terrible... I don't understand what you meant with your last post, to be honest.

I know what you mean... Vancouver isn't the most fashionable city. But the Holt Renfrew here is PACKED sometimes... I'm not sure where all the customers are from. It's almost 138,000 square feet and maintain some pretty major designers... women's Armani Black Label, Akris, Oscar de la Renta...

Speaking to someone who works with Holt Renfrew in Toronto, I was told that there is a possibility (???) that some of the retail in the Cumberland Terrace re-build will be taken for a Holt Renfrew store expansion. Has anyone else heard anything about this? Not to start rumors or anything ;) If...

Because Downtown Toronto isn't a cow pasture. Large North American cities often have tall buildings in their downtowns. Trees block sunlight too. I cant' stand the 'you're blocking my sunlight' argument for downtown areas. Provided that this development treats the streetscape with respect, I...

Yup, you got it. This is my source: http://www.toronto.ca/planning/development_portfolio/pdf/residential_june_2008.pdf Originally, this project was supposed to be two uber-expensive side-by-side residences. It even went in front of the OMB -...

Does anyone know how large this potential building site is? Looking at Microsoft Virtual Earth, it does not look that large. I expect that a 44 floor tower would be of a very significant density. Not a bad thing mind you. I think towers in residential districts such as St Mary & St Nicholas...

Ol' Eddy might be partly right, depends on the grocery store and type of building. Obviously a small, high-end building with a No-Frills on the main floor might not work. But I dont' see why a Dominion, Longos, Loblaws or Whole Foods wouldn't work on an above or below-floor of 1 Bloor E. And I...

Grocery store at 1 Bloor East? I have just read that a 40,000 sq ft grocery store will be included at the 1 Bloor project? can anyone confirm this in any city reports or plans, and who the grocery tenant might be? Would it be in the basement? One Bloor (1 Bloor Street East) On December...

Not Honest Ed's? Has there been speculation that Honest Ed's might come to an end? From what I recall, Honest Ed's has about 160,000 square feet. Whole Foods stores are generally in the 40,000 - 60,000 sq ft range, with a few as large as 80,000 square feet. So it obviously wouldn't take the...

Queen Street Store Split-Up Possibly Confirmed... http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/17/business/worldbusiness/17hudson.html?ref=business Note below that a Lord & Taylor/Bay combination is already being considered for Toronto's Queen Street Bay store. As well, free-standing Fortunoff shops...

Zellers has some very exceptional locations in some 'first rate' malls. Some Zellers locations also have L&T-sized square footages. Given that the Bay will keep its current nameplate, I am guessing that more than one Zellers location in better malls could be converted to L&T banners. I'd...

My research shows Cartier's address being that of the former Lacoste location in the Colonnade: #108 - 131 Bloor St. West. I would expect Cartier to take over the former Mappins space, as well, for a total ground-floor size of 2851 square feet. I have no idea if Cartier would also expand through...

I personally think these ratings are useless to the general population. Choosing a city to live is like choosing a mate... you may visit several, and realize that they're "just not right". You might even try living in a few, or just take them for an extended test drive. But in the end, you go...

Creeds... I thought I saw a ghost in Dane's second photo of the new Holt Renfrew Centre entrance. I saw the word 'Creeds'... and remembering the old Creeds across the street and the rebirth of Bonwit Teller, I got excited. Looking closely, I think it's a reflection of the Creeds drycleaner...

I hear they're opening a pawn shop at 144 Bloor Street West in the former Grand & Toy location, and that Honest Ed's will open a Satelite location on the first and second floors of 101 Bloor West once Cole Haan closes. Ok I'm joking. But I am alarmed to see Labels 4 Less move into 83 Bloor...

Oh. My. God. Wow. Labels 4 Less moves next to Tiffany & Co. What's next. Wal-Mart takes over 100 Bloor W? ;) The evolution of Bloor: From Mink Mile to discount aisle DEIRDRE KELLY June 7, 2008 Is Toronto's Mink Mile in danger of losing its sheen? A Labels 4 Less outlet opened...