[josephdavidmckee]

"clint eastwood will turn you every which way"

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

I'm not sure what original fabric is salvageable of the old Savoy/Coronet at 399, but how wonderful it would be if that site was to be restored as well. How tired it looks now beside that renewed facade.

It was an early example of an average building being trashed for retail purposes, I suspect it's probably shot. Nothing too remarkable here anyway. I used to watch movies in there after Odeon dropped the porn policy around 1977/78. Two photos when it was the Savoy on each side of the photos, c1950's, and a grimy 401 Yonge St.

 

[stjames2queenwest]

I drove all the way up yonge the other day to richmond hill, and I have to say it is a bit odd that the crappiest retail is this stretch from queen to bloor, particularly this east side north and south of college park. As Project End mentioned if everything is cleaned up too well then interesting smaller retailers will not be able to afford space along this stretch, which is not good either.
If only this part of yonge could be a hybrid of queen west and uptown (midtown if you will) yonge st. Interesting one off retailers or small chains rather than the same large retailers repeated every 2 blocks.
Someday I'm sure it will get there.

 

[snyberTO]

looks great but i'm surprised this restoration didnt happen as part of a larger redevelopment of the NW corner of Yonge and Gerrard. That building on corner should really go....

 

[College Park]

I peeked in during construction: only the facade was kept. The interior was demolished and entirely rebuilt.

On the subject of gentrification, this is a normal cycle of rebuilding. To maintain character businesses like a museum in rebuilt commercial stock, you need substantial public funds, and in the end it would feel artificed. Better to approve (and applaud) such projects as this!

 

[Tewder]

I drove all the way up yonge the other day to richmond hill, and I have to say it is a bit odd that the crappiest retail is this stretch from queen to bloor, particularly this east side north and south of college park. As Project End mentioned if everything is cleaned up too well then interesting smaller retailers will not be able to afford space along this stretch, which is not good either.
If only this part of yonge could be a hybrid of queen west and uptown (midtown if you will) yonge st. Interesting one off retailers or small chains rather than the same large retailers repeated every 2 blocks.
Someday I'm sure it will get there.

Is it reasonable to expect independent one-off retailers along this stretch of Yonge? The rents are just too high, they'd never survive. No, Yonge is for the chain stores/international brands. The best we can hope for is that the coming retail developments at Yonge/Bloor will eventually start to spread south down Yonge, ultimately connecting with Dundas Square/Eaton Centre. In this scenario we'd likely get lower level brands around Dundas, mid-level brands the closer you get to Bloor, leading into the high-end brands already established along Bloor and in Yorkville.

I am glad for the renovations along Yonge because they will help preserve an interesting mix in terms of scale and materials, which improves the pedestrian experience. Not every retail front will be a generic glassed condo podium, in other words.

 

[ksun]

I drove all the way up yonge the other day to richmond hill, and I have to say it is a bit odd that the crappiest retail is this stretch from queen to bloor, particularly this east side north and south of college park. As Project End mentioned if everything is cleaned up too well then interesting smaller retailers will not be able to afford space along this stretch, which is not good either.
If only this part of yonge could be a hybrid of queen west and uptown (midtown if you will) yonge st. Interesting one off retailers or small chains rather than the same large retailers repeated every 2 blocks.
Someday I'm sure it will get there.

if small and interesting retailers can't afford the space on downtown Yonge, they will find somewhere else to survive. It is not the end of the world. We should not prevent this area to be developed by market forces and try to twist the market so that these retails could stay where we want them to. I heard Dundas East and Queen East is still cheap.

No one HAS to stay right on Yonge st, and for a one story convenience store and whatever fake Asian "fusion" restaurant to be sitting right on Yonge 30 seconds from a subway stop, it is simply not sustainable because if someone else wants to pay a higher price for it, why shouldn't they be allowed to?

And if a retail is indeed interesting and unique enough, it will manage to survive on Yonge. Did you see that Japanese cheesecake place at Bay/Dundas? People have been lining up for 2 hours every day since 3 weeks ago. So if one can't make it, don't blame soaring rent, blame the fact you are not competitive enough.

 

[ksun]

Aesthetically, sure, but I'd worry now about what that polish means for the street's values all the way up to Bloor. Though I barely-but-somewhat sympathize with the 'Yonge is a trash heap' (though not in those words) crowd re the 'Yonge Street Draw,' I question whether the answer is to clean everything up to the point where only chain and corporate retail can afford the rents...

It's gonna happen, but at what cost?

oh, come on. Since when beautifying old buildings and making them attractive again becomes a bad thing. I wish the entire Queen West looks like this building. It is Yonge st. Rent here is supposed to be expensive. I don't want crappy looking buildings on downtown Yonge at all.

Cheaper stores can prosper somewhere, like the rest of downtown. How about Queen and Church? Jarvis and Gerrard? A mom & pop store doesn't need to be right at Yonge/College, does it?

 

[Canadian Chocho]

oh, come on. Since when beautifying old buildings and making them attractive again becomes a bad thing. I wish the entire Queen West looks like this building. It is Yonge st. Rent here is supposed to be expensive. I don't want crappy looking buildings on downtown Yonge at all.

Cheaper stores can prosper somewhere, like the rest of downtown. How about Queen and Church? Jarvis and Gerrard? A mom & pop store doesn't need to be right at Yonge/College, does it?

This is actually a potential upside from these stroes moving from Yonge. These dead areas that we would all love to see filled up with retail could be animated by businessowners seeking cheaper rents.

I do not have as big of a problem with the gentrification of Downtown Yonge because it has been a longtime since it was some sort of quiet neighbourhood. It isnt't exactly Parkdale or Dundas West where there are families and elderly residents that have been there for ages and essentially built the nighbourhood that are suddenly under threat by gentrifyers. This stretch of Yonge street has been hustle and bustle and 'big city' for decades, hell its the only place in the city that has had subway service for over 60 years.

 

[maestro]

Funny how Kingsett is doing 3 storeys north of Gerrard and 73 storeys south of it.

Kingsett just acts as developer for the ownership, no?

 

[interchange42]

No.

42

 

[UrbanAffair]

Any chance Kingsett might expand and assemble more properties here in order to facilitate a future development, similar to their new one just south of Gerrard?

 

[ProjectEnd]

No, that is not the plan.

 

[Automation Gallery]

No, that is not the plan.

May not be the plan now, wait 10 years and we'll see

 

[whatever]

I wonder if the ground floor will become the showroom for the eventual development on the SE corner. Seems like a logical spot for them to put it