The McDonalds on-site has "Store closing permanently" signs on the front doors. The final Big Mac will be served on this Sunday, January 6th. Says this location has been in business since December 1977!
The staff have pretty much given up on keeping the dining area clean, lol.

Been thinking lately about the land dealings that led to Bazi's acquiring the site. The City should never have sold to the McD's.
 
I hope that the rumblings of McDonald's opening in the building upon completion are untrue!
 
McDonald's always has locations in prominent urban areas in cities around the world, and I doubt that Toronto will be different. They likely want this location because they know that a lot of students, downtown workers, and tourists go to McDonald's. Wealthy people also want to live here. So let the mix of uses happen, so long as McDonald's is more design-conscious than they would be at an ordinary standalone suburban location and keeps things clean. Some may think of it as trashy fast food, but they're fairly successful in their branding around the world as modern, hip and not class oriented. So it doesn't seem to detract from this beautiful upscale streetscape in Prague, for instance, which unfortunately makes Bloor look like a lesser street even with the granite sidewalk makeover further east. (Where are the ornamental street lights and stone roadway, for instance? Though Bloor in Yorkville is closer to world standards than ever before.)
 
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Their new modernist renos to the suburban locations are improving the look of suburbia everywhere. They still all look the same, but still.
 
I've been to that McDonald's in Prague! It is rather pleasant, there is even a dining/garden courtyard within, from what I can remember. I suppose this is an opportunity for the company to continue this sort of rebranding. I wonder how much influence- if any- Bazis has on the design of the new restaurant?
 
innsertnamehere said:
Their new modernist renos to the suburban locations are improving the look of suburbia everywhere. They still all look the same, but still.
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Speaking of looking all alike. Unless attempts are made to create unique retail spaces with design variations, we'll be stuck with more generic condo staples like the One Bedford further west. Earlier condos in Yorkville such as 10 Bellair and its neighbors were successful in establishing an engaging pedestrian experience at grade level. While I won't miss the built form of the current buildings on site here, it at least featured a variety of retail usages.
 
McDonald's needn't be a street-killer. A number of their city-centre European outlets are pretty attractive--I recall one on the main commercial drag in Vienna that looked fine even by that city's extremely high standards.

That said, I'm a little disappointed we won't be seeing any high-end retail here. It always seemed to me the natural end-points of the 'Mink Mile' are more like St George and Church rather than Yonge and Avenue. Between One Bedford, Museum House, the new Woodsworth dorm and most of the instutional buildings Bloor from Avenue to St George will have a great collection of architecture when the dust settles, and I hope the retail will eventually reflect that.
 
Not sure you'd want to extend all the way to St. George thanks to this. And the south side of the street is institutional and Varsity Stadium.

Maybe to Bedford Road though.
 
There's not too much leaseable space left west of Avenue Rd. and with the addition of many retail spots at 1 Bloor and Yorkville Plaza, that should take care of things for awhile.
 
RIP McDonald's (at least until your reincarnation in the base of Exhibit).

exhibitj8.jpg
 
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AlbertC said:
While I won't miss the built form of the current buildings on site here, it at least featured a variety of retail usages.
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I thought that this was a fine block with successful mixed uses, albeit a little messy but I like that. I doubt it will have anywhere near the energy in three or four years than it did previously.

allabootmatt said:
McDonald's needn't be a street-killer. A number of their city-centre European outlets are pretty attractive--I recall one on the main commercial drag in Vienna that looked fine even by that city's extremely high standards.
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I'm not a fan of McDonalds but I never think of their troughs as street killers.
 
I have to say that these buildings, while they did host a variety of uses and did possess a certain energy, will not be missed. I am not exactly a chic shiny upper scale fanatic, but these buildings were always a source of shame and embarrassment when I would take people to visit the ROM. They do not fit the area, and exhibit should be a fine piece of contemporary architecture that fits perfectly in a Toronto aesthetic. If only a McDonalds is left over that would be a shame (are there any other commercial units at all?), but the quality and form of the previous architecture left something to be desired. This is a fantastic place for a contemporary high rise. Looking very much forward to the juxtaposition of the stacked boxes with the ROM crystal.
 
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