[kotsy]

It says Nordstrom will open "Fall 2016". Is it supposed to take this long? I am sad to see such a large department store to be empty for almost 3 years.

Yup, that's correct. All the news articles said 2.5 years or renovates. Insane.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

They must be doing something structural as well - I can't imagine a straight reno taking 2.5 years. Also odd that CF is so cagey about this phase of the project.

AoD

 

[Geekaroo]

Anyone else notice that they replaced the revolving doors on the corner? Now they just have this single door inset into the old circular door frame, its weird.

I Thinks this is to facilitate the construction in progress. Easier to move materials.

 

[chriskayTO]

I Thinks this is to facilitate the construction in progress. Easier to move materials.

I can't see too many materials coming in that way - setting aside the fact that it would likely come through the loading dock area to avoid blocking Yonge St, the former department store area has several large entrances further south directly off the street.

 

[devjohnson]

Tearing up the former Sears entrance

 

[MetroMan]

I just spoke to an architect at a firm doing drawings for several high profile retail locations in downtown Toronto. There appears to be a tenant slated to go in the new North Mall expansion with a large 2 level space facing Yonge Street and with direct access into the mall. The secrecy, build guidelines, and other other hallmarks revolving this tenant are signatures of Apple Stores.

I'm crossing my fingers that this turns out to be true. A 2 story Apple Store at Yonge-Dundas Sq. but still in the Eaton Centre would allow them to close the woefully inadequate original store at Queen St.

 

[stjames2queenwest]

a tenant other than Nordstrom? Where sears was? I thought this was all going to be Nordstrom, there is however the store front just north of dundas that was Guess, and has recently been a halloween and now xmas pop up store, It is two levels. Also there is the 2 floor store front next to urban outfitters which was buffalo. I;ve been hoping one would become a Simons. But I could see Apple particularly at the shuter street former buffalo.

 

[alklay]

An Apple store going into the spot at the north end, would certainly explain the lack of renderings for the renovations.

 

[Benito]

Interesting, Apple definitely needs a lot more space downtown than they currently have. I hope this is correct and that they open a store in One Bloor East as well.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I wonder if we have an aApple to look forward to?

AoD

 

[canmark]

Anyone else notice that they replaced the revolving doors on the corner? Now they just have this single door inset into the old circular door frame, its weird.

I noticed that, too. Without the revolving doors, blasts of cold air were traveling all the way through the north entrance and that horribly temporary-looking, wind tunnel-like passageway. Surely it’s not going to look like that until Nordstrom’s opens… in 2016?!

 

[Hamiltonian]

I noticed that, too. Without the revolving doors, blasts of cold air were traveling all the way through the north entrance and that horribly temporary-looking, wind tunnel-like passageway. Surely it’s not going to look like that until Nordstrom’s opens… in 2016?!

I think they added the doors so they could easily transport construction materials...?

 

[pw20]

a tenant other than Nordstrom? Where sears was? I thought this was all going to be Nordstrom, there is however the store front just north of dundas that was Guess, and has recently been a halloween and now xmas pop up store, It is two levels. Also there is the 2 floor store front next to urban outfitters which was buffalo. I;ve been hoping one would become a Simons. But I could see Apple particularly at the shuter street former buffalo.

The north mall - is north of Sears where the court was/used to be. The Sears store in and of itself has HUGE floorplates. Nordstrom is only 250k square feet.

I'm sad to see the North Mall become entirely commercialized, but I'd rather it be a cool Apple store than what it is now, which is a hybrid of what it used to be and something much worse.

Fingers crossed.

 

[MetroMan]

a tenant other than Nordstrom? Where sears was? I thought this was all going to be Nordstrom, there is however the store front just north of dundas that was Guess, and has recently been a halloween and now xmas pop up store, It is two levels. Also there is the 2 floor store front next to urban outfitters which was buffalo. I;ve been hoping one would become a Simons. But I could see Apple particularly at the shuter street former buffalo.

There are going to be several tenants along Yonge St. creating an extension of the galleria to about midpoint where Nordstrom will begin. Apple (if this is indeed Apple) will occupy 2 levels at what looks like the existing exit opposite Roots. It's a very large store, larger than even the Yorkdale store which is really expansive but is only one level.

There's a second apparently identical client with similar secrecy and demands being negotiated at Union Station. Combined with rumours of an Apple Store on Bloor St, Yorkville, it looks like Apple is about to finally make its long overdue big splash in Toronto.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

How uncharacteristic is the level of secrecy in the retail industry? Could it not be another store? I have a hard time believing that Apple is looking at three new locations in Toronto.