Then, all the commercial landlords and condo corporations who seek out banks and large chain retailers for their retail will wonder why fewer people are coming downtown. No one wants to travel 1 to 2 hours downtown in traffic or lousy transit for the likes of a street of retail bank branches, Shoppers Drug Marts, and Winners. They want retail they can't find at home.

There's a place for chains, but they're becoming too prevalent downtown. Also, big international chain restaurants will draw people once due to hype. Many of those people will never return due to the generic nature of standardized franchise restaurant food, no matter what country it's from.
Sure, but in development, everyone is only in it for themselves. We all want the perfect, corporate lease with a great covenant, high rent, and confidence in long-term tenant liquidity. Problem is when everyone is chasing those goals, it results in 20 of the same retailers just shuffling spaces. Development pro-forma retail a city doesn't make, unfortunately.
 
May 7, 2024
Most individuals do not look up.
The corner curvature sets this one appart

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Toronto literally has 1000s of buildings of this vintage that were similarly neglected, partially destroyed, or plastered with all manner of tacky siding, advertisement, and cheapness. There are 100s of buildings on Queen Street alone that need the same TLC as this one received. Slowly, we're peeling back all the dreck and restoring what once was.

The process is frustratingly slow (will take decades at this pace) but at least we're moving in the right direction.
 
May 16
More up on my site

There did a nice job resorting the Façade of the building as well the lettering
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Too bad Abercombie & Fitch in its old iteration as outfitters isn't still around. This would have been the perfect place for it. Even could have put a fly fishing pond on the roof like they had on Madison Ave. They were in the Exchange Tower with a large store in the '80s. Kind of like a mix between Holland and Holland, the top floor of Fortnum and Mason (massively expensive baubles) and Bass Pro Shop.
 

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