[Jonny5]

Today I noticed crews installing wooden hoarding along both sides of the former La Maquette building, next to the sculpture garden.

There are no building permits in the city database for this address yet: is this the start of a renovation for a new tenant, or the start of a long stint as an abandoned building, I wonder?

View attachment 535213

It looks to me like this will turn out to be another stint as an abandoned building.
Nothing appears to have happened since it was boarded up three weeks ago and if it's not an immediate turnaround it's usually a VERY long wait.
The place further east that was to be Barro something restaurant appears now to be a never-opener too, with the papers covering over the front window advertising an "Autumn 2023" opening now starting to fall off the glass onto the floor, basically signifying no one has been in there for months.
The old Hiro Sushi location adjacent to that spot is still vacant with graffiti on the glass. Boy did that owner ever get lucky retiring and closing up shop in 2019!
King East is retail cursed.

 

[deerparker]

It looks to me like this will turn out to be another stint as an abandoned building.
Nothing appears to have happened since it was boarded up three weeks ago and if it's not an immediate turnaround it's usually a VERY long wait.
The place further east that was to be Barro something restaurant appears now to be a never-opener too, with the papered over front window advertising its "Autumn 2023" opening starting to now fall off the glass.

King East is retail cursed.

The place east of Jarvis is Bar Ardo (from the owners of Ardo and Dova). For what it's worth, the Instagram for Bar Ardo has been updated to "opening Feb 2024".

 

[evandyk]

It's very strange that nothing survives on King East. There are tons of people living in the area, a lot of foot traffic, and everything there dies either a quick or a slow death. Only Biagio survives, and I'm pretty sure that's just money laundering since nobody ever eats there.

 

[Jonny5]

The place east of Jarvis is Bar Ardo (from the owners of Ardo and Dova). For what it's worth, the Instagram for Bar Ardo has been updated to "opening Feb 2024".

Oh that's at least some optimism. We shall see what happend. They've got two weeks!

 

[CityPainter]

It looks to me like this will turn out to be another stint as an abandoned building.
Nothing appears to have happened since it was boarded up three weeks ago and if it's not an immediate turnaround it's usually a VERY long wait.
The place further east that was to be Barro something restaurant appears now to be a never-opener too, with the papered over front window advertising its "Autumn 2023" opening starting to now fall off the glass.

King East is retail cursed.

I think you are correct about the former La Macquette. The building could be very nice but only if someone with deep pockets makes some major investment.

But I think you're premature on calling Bar Ardo DOA. One of the founders was posting about the ongoing progress on the space two weeks ago on Instagram, essentially saying it's a been a lot of work but "the space is evolving wonderfully." Peeking around the paper I can see a lot of work has been done. Long lead-ups to restaurant openings that significantly overflow the initial optimistic opening date estimates are pretty normal. Places like Gusto 501, Hotel Lisbon, and the Rosebud in Corktown took many months, if not years, between conception and actually opening. I think things like building permit inspections are still backlogged and take forever.

King East does feel cursed, all the dead retail is particularly frustrating, especially because it doesn't seem to be about lack of demand from customers (the places that exist are perpetually busy) but rather about the current forces of economics and pending major developments that make it so much harder than it should be. The local paper The Bridge had a good article about this last month: Commercial spaces developers leave empty kill community vibe. They discuss the now-vacant retail around the former Betty's a few blocks further east.

 

[DSC]

I think you are correct about the former La Macquette. The building could be very nice but only if someone with deep pockets makes some major investment.

But I think you're premature on calling Bar Ardo DOA. One of the founders was posting about the ongoing progress on the space two weeks ago on Instagram, essentially saying it's a been a lot of work but "the space is evolving wonderfully." Peeking around the paper I can see a lot of work has been done. Long lead-ups to restaurant openings that significantly overflow the initial optimistic opening date estimates are pretty normal. Places like Gusto 501, Hotel Lisbon, and the Rosebud in Corktown took many months, if not years, between conception and actually opening. I think things like building permit inspections are still backlogged and take forever.

King East does feel cursed, all the dead retail is particularly frustrating, especially because it doesn't seem to be about lack of demand from customers (the places that exist are perpetually busy) but rather about the current forces of economics and pending major developments that make it so much harder than it should be. The local paper The Bridge had a good article about this last month: Commercial spaces developers leave empty kill community vibe. They discuss the now-vacant retail around the former Betty's a few blocks further east.

The Maquette Building is CITY OWNED so anyone moving in 'only' needs to do specialised fitting out. The space clearly has at least basic kitchen facilities and the exterior was upgraded by the City several years ago. I am not sure if Real Estate services are actively marketing it at the moment.

The main problem at the moment on King East is that several large blocks are either under active development or have been 'assembled' for development. e.g. The block just west of George on south side, the blocks on north side around Princess/Ontario and, of course, the Ontario line work.

 

[evandyk]

The development assemblies are currently a big problem on King, but retail has never really been good there for decades. I worked at GBC in the early 2000s and it was already a problem.

 

[DSC]

Chris Moise has just published his Strategic plan for Ward 13. See: https://strategicplan.chrismoise.ca/

Not a lot of detail and, as we know, the devil is found there!

 

[Northern Light]

Chris Moise has just published his Strategic plan for Ward 13. See: https://strategicplan.chrismoise.ca/

Not a lot of detail and, as we know, the devil is found there!

I see this project, which I've seen come up for discussion (or rather the current fence has)

With great respect to Chris, the project below is late:

**

Hold on, we're seriously changing the name to this:

That's about in line w/the quality of the design......

**

Seriously now, this is 'on track'??

At best its late............

**

This one slipped under my radar:

@DSC can report on the latter of these I imagine:

**

He wants to reopen this again, does he?

I'm in favour, but this time, let's do it properly, and make sure we include Mt. Pleasant:

**

Generally, not necessary, and there are much better use of the funds:

**

Let's see if he has more luck w/the below under Mayor Chow, than Matlow did under Mayor Tory:

I support this, btw

 

[DSC]

I see this project, which I've seen come up for discussion (or rather the current fence has)

View attachment 540826

With great respect to Chris, the project below is late:

View attachment 540827

**

Hold on, we're seriously changing the name to this:

View attachment 540828

That's about in line w/the quality of the design......

**

Seriously now, this is 'on track'??

View attachment 540829
At best its late............

**

This one slipped under my radar:

View attachment 540831

@DSC can report on the latter of these I imagine:

View attachment 540832

**

He wants to reopen this again, does he?

I'm in favour, but this time, let's do it properly, and make sure we include Mt. Pleasant:

View attachment 540833

**

Generally, not necessary, and there are much better use of the funds:

View attachment 540841

**

Let's see if he has more luck w/the below under Mayor Chow, than Matlow did under Mayor Tory:

View attachment 540842

I support this, btw

The Inglenook Fence has been discussed in the Corktown thread.

The St Lawrence Market BIA Streetscape Plan has been underway for a year or more - I saw a semi-final version a few months ago and it continues to be refined. Progress has been (too) slow but it IS moving ahead and may get to TEYCC in May (??). It will provide a very useful guide to how best to upgrade streetscape in conjunction with city and private developments and notes all the (many) changes that can be made 'as of right' and thus not requiring changes to by-laws etc. Once approved, it SHOULD speed things up a bit.

 

[Northern Light]

The Inglenook Fence has been discussed in the Corktown thread.

The St Lawrence Market BIA Streetscape Plan has been underway for a year or more - I saw a semi-final version a few months ago and it continues to be refined. Progress has been (too) slow but it IS moving ahead and may get to TEYCC in May (??). It will provide a very useful guide to how best to upgrade streetscape in conjunction with city and private developments and notes all the (many) changes that can be made 'as of right' and thus not requiring changes to by-laws etc. Once approved, it SHOULD speed things up a bit.

Now that you have me thinking about it..........Is Colborne getting done anytime soon?

 

[DSC]

Now that you have me thinking about it..........Is Colborne getting done anytime soon?

Apparently, yes. The Google building guys are fixing up Colbourne from Church to Leader Lane and Leader Lane from King to Colbourne 'this summer'.

Then the City are fixing up and, I think, pedestrianising Leader Lane from Colbourne to Wellington.

The section of Colbourne from Leader Lane to Yonge is 'on the list' for work too, but only after the TTC new exit @ Yonge happens (and maybe the redevelopment on that corner too.)

EDIT. My BIA colleagues confirmed that the Google and City projects are still planned for 2024.

 

[Jonny5]

I see this project, which I've seen come up for discussion (or rather the current fence has)

View attachment 540826

With great respect to Chris, the project below is late:

View attachment 540827

**

Hold on, we're seriously changing the name to this:

View attachment 540828

That's about in line w/the quality of the design......

**

Seriously now, this is 'on track'??

View attachment 540829
At best its late............

**

This one slipped under my radar:

View attachment 540831

@DSC can report on the latter of these I imagine:

View attachment 540832

**

He wants to reopen this again, does he?

I'm in favour, but this time, let's do it properly, and make sure we include Mt. Pleasant:

View attachment 540833

**

Generally, not necessary, and there are much better use of the funds:

View attachment 540841

**

Let's see if he has more luck w/the below under Mayor Chow, than Matlow did under Mayor Tory:

View attachment 540842

I support this, btw

Traffic signals are needed way more at Ontario Street on Richmond/Adelaide than at Power Street.
I would say they would be fine actually with a push-button crosswalk there like at King and Queen, but I think City policy is to not do those anymore for streets with more three or more lanes in one direction.
But with all the development that has and is happening in the area, Ontario Street is going to be way more of a pedestrian route because the streetcar stops are there.

Putting them at Power street is dumb and I suspect is only to placate some whiny dog owners.

 

[Northern Light]

But with all the development that has and is happening in the area, Ontario Street is going to be way more of a pedestrian route because the streetcar stops are there.

Thing is, the stop distance from Sherbourne to Parliament is only 420M; I would argue there should not be any stop at Ontario street; need for lights solved.

You can't be doing lights every 200M; not just because it slows drivers, but because it slows streetcars and buses, and at ~$150,000 an intersection to install and $ to maintain, its just wasteful.

 

[DSC]

Traffic signals are needed way more at Ontario Street on Richmond/Adelaide than at Power Street.
I would say they would be fine actually with a push-button crosswalk there like at King and Queen, but I think City policy is to not do those anymore for streets with more three or more lanes in one direction.
But with all the development that has and is happening in the area, Ontario Street is going to be way more of a pedestrian route because the streetcar stops are there.

Putting them at Power street is dumb and I suspect is only to placate some whiny dog owners.

Traffic lights have been approved for Adelaide & Ontario and will be installed once the developments on SE and NE corners are finished. Adelaide is a bit of a race-track there as previous light is @ Sherbourne..

Though I seldom go there, and agree that there can be TOO many lights, I understand why lights are Richmond @ Power would be good. This is really a DVP exit ramp and vehicles exit the DVP going far too fast and sightlines are not great, it REALLY is dangerous. I have not much sympathy for Adelaide as one can cross fairly easily by relying on the lights at Parliament and all traffic comes from there.