There are already a few open air malls in Southern Ontario - The Well won't be the only one.

The two newer outlet malls (Niagara and Halton) are both open air.
 
Shopping is suppose to be an experience. However, What they are doing to this area is remarkable actually and is quite needed for Pickering to grow (up). It’s always had this unfinished feel around there. Like it’s wanting to be a real city but hadn’t had the opportunity till now. The designs are very nice and new building will be well placed.
 
A model I've been working on showing proposed + under construction projects in the town centre. It’s a work in progress.
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East/ South East side of PTC as of December 13, 2020. Part of the road in the parking lot that runs by the east entrance to The Bay was closed/ fenced off (to the left, out of frame of the first photo). There was another fenced off area to the North East of the mall that I did not get a good look at (~ across Glenanna from the Library).
20201213_105702 (R2).jpg
20201213_105703 (R2).jpg
 
I can't see how to fix the mall, while leaving it standing.

it's not simply that its relationship to surrounding roads is poor.

It's that it's a super-block that stifles any sense of urbanity.

If you could fit a version of a mall that would run parallel to Liverpool, between Pickering Pkwy and a new Street to the north, providing that it included street-facing retail, I think I could live w/that.

View attachment 280247

I realize I've shown the Pkwy meeting the highway offramp, btw, It would have to go a smidge further north, but I would nix the parclos and have WB traffic use the west side of Liverpool instead to access the highway.

That would still give you in the range of a 300,000ft2 floor plate or about 3ha/7.5 acres to play with.

If the mall were made 3 floors across the board, that's 900,000ft2 of selling space. Not a bad size.
I was doing some development browsing today and came across some new docs up for this project. Northern Light, I think you’ll be happy to see what they’re proposing here.


I have to say, I’m quite surprised to see a master plan of this extent being planned in this area in this area… and with such a great focus on sustainability, variety in building uses (and scale) and being a walkable downtown. Plus, it seems to be happening quite fast. I wasn’t expecting to see plans for future phases so soon. Good job Pickering!
 

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I was doing some development browsing today and came across some new docs up for this project. Northern Light, I think you’ll be happy to see what they’re proposing here.


I have to say, I’m quite surprised to see a master plan of this extent being planned in this area in this area… and with such a great focus on sustainability, variety in building uses (and scale) and being a walkable downtown. Plus, it seems to be happening quite fast. I wasn’t expecting to see plans for future phases so soon. Good job Pickering!

This layout shows potential:

1642119872925.png


The N-S street is roughly right, given the retention of the mall at this point.

I'd prefer to see a second E-W public street within this phase. I'd also prefer to see the 2 northern parks consolidated on one side of the road; the 417m2 park is a throw-away to meet quota, not programmable space.

Progress.

Not quite there.

Need to see how they envision tying this in to future phases.

I still think the entire mall has to come out over time, its just 'in the way' of a thoughtful, urban-oriented grid.

The retail can be replaced as street-facing.

I don't imagine an HBC store here in the future, even if the chain remains a going concern, if it were to remain, it should be a free-standing building (tower on top is fine) and at least 3 levels.
 
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Future block phases can be seen here, as part of the Functional Servicing Report.
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I would have to disagree with you slightly on the 417m2 park though. It acts as a through pedestrian connection to what will be the main entrance to the remaining Pickering Town Centre, and is part of the programable space dedicated to events and the Farmers Market. The city described this area as an “arcade” of sorts. Plus, that portion of the park is located under the cantilever of the library.

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Though I’m a little confused on who would be using the dining/patio sets seen in the render.

The central park (where the Bay is currently) is nice to see. I hope this develops into a well thought out design.
 
Future block phases can be seen here, as part of the Functional Servicing Report.
View attachment 374690

I would have to disagree with you slightly on the 417m2 park though. It acts as a through pedestrian connection to what will be the main entrance to the remaining Pickering Town Centre, and is part of the programable space dedicated to events and the Farmers Market. The city described this area as an “arcade” of sorts. Plus, that portion of the park is located under the cantilever of the library.

View attachment 374691

Though I’m a little confused on who would be using the dining/patio sets seen in the render.

The central park (where the Bay is currently) is nice to see. I hope this develops into a well thought out design.

Good find, I overlooked the FSR when examining the Docs....

I like most of what I'm seeing there.

Though there is still retention of the residual portion of the north mall.

I would really like to see that punched through with at least 2 N-S streets
 
Does it seem crazy to anyone else that we are building several of these suburban nodes throughout the GTA with no apparent plan for higher order transit provision? Where does the future rail station go?
 
Does it seem crazy to anyone else that we are building several of these suburban nodes throughout the GTA with no apparent plan for higher order transit provision? Where does the future rail station go?

Albeit in a cumbersome way; this site is served by the Pickering GO Stn.

It's also served by BRT along Kingston Road.

This is not a terrible spot for this; though yes, connections to that transit certainly need some work.
 
This is not the worst example, but it certainly needs a pedestrian and cycling underpass for the 401. Just many mall redevelopments that are far too isolated from the regional transit network for the kind of density planned.
 
This is not the worst example, but it certainly needs a pedestrian and cycling underpass for the 401. Just many mall redevelopments that are far too isolated from the regional transit network for the kind of density planned.

In respect of this site specifically; I would prioritize improving Liverpool as a safe and pleasant'ish crossing for pedestrians and cyclists. Eliminating the slip lanes and having the highway entrance/exit ramps meet Liverpool at traffic lights, widening the sidewalks and streetscaping them; adding good pedestrian lighting; and then cycle tracks w/jersey barrier or median-style separation from traffic.

I certainly wouldn't oppose an additional crossing here; though for now, I'm not sure there are that many good reasons to cross to the south, east of the GO Stn.

But Glenanna could be extended to Sandy Beach Rd, for cars as well, which would serve to lessen traffic at the Liverpool and Brock crossings and maybe even allow a modest road diet.

****

Other sites we can probably look at one by one in their respective threads.

A few are indeed more challenging; though many are or will be on the subway (Yorkdale and STC); and Sherway, one day; though admittedly CF seems ready to build long before that day comes.

Others are a bit more problematic either in an outright sense, or in a sense of sheer scale.
 

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