Yonge Street is Toronto's 'Main' Street, right? It should come as no shock to anybody nor offer any offense that this should be ground zero in the city for commerce and retail, crass or otherwise. The Learning Centre design is spectacular but is it what is needed at the heart of the Yonge/Dundas area? This is definitely good for Ryerson but is it good for the health and vitality of retail in the area, which is it the traditional cultural use of this street? Heck, I can be as distracted as anybody else by a pretty design but I can't help but feel it takes itself just a little too seriously for this neck of the woods.

... and maybe it's just nostalgia but lets have the Sam's sign back on Yonge! Heritage monument to garish consumerism or pretty art installation, Yonge Street is where the sign belongs or at least where it should belong.
 
Its certainly ground zero for crass retail, but its certainly not ground zero for retail and commerce.
 
.... but the constant has always been retail/commerce, crass or not depending on when, even as other areas come in or fall out of fashion... and don't count Yonge out quite yet. As high-end retail settles in at Yonge/Bloor, the trend will likely only continue southward with developments like Aura, all the way to Yonge/Dundas and the Eaton Centre.
 
To my eyes, it extends Ryerson's reach to Yonge Street, pure and simple - and engages in a Fred and Ginger-esque dance with the Brutalist-era campus library along the way. I don't really understand why it needs any retail along Yonge Street at all.
 
Tewder said:
Yonge Street is Toronto's 'Main' Street, right? It should come as no shock to anybody nor offer any offense that this should be ground zero in the city for commerce and retail, crass or otherwise. The Learning Centre design is spectacular but is it what is needed at the heart of the Yonge/Dundas area? This is definitely good for Ryerson but is it good for the health and vitality of retail in the area, which is it the traditional cultural use of this street? Heck, I can be as distracted as anybody else by a pretty design but I can't help but feel it takes itself just a little too seriously for this neck of the woods.

... and maybe it's just nostalgia but lets have the Sam's sign back on Yonge! Heritage monument to garish consumerism or pretty art installation, Yonge Street is where the sign belongs or at least where it should belong.
Click to expand...

Yonge st. Is often referred to as Toronto's "main street." but I don't think this is true any longer. It was the case for very many years but I think Toronto is finally evolving into a different kind of place. "Main Street" is essentially a small-town concept. Once a city reaches a certain point, the concept no longer applies. What, for example, would be the "main street" of New York, or Chicago, or London, or any number of large cities?

I would argue that for many years, and until very recently, Toronto belonged in the "big small town" category, and Yonge was its "main street." Now that we seem to be getting beyond that, I think it's also appropriate for Yonge St. to evolve as well.

This also ties in to my opinion re: the Sam's sign. In days of yore, sure it was a really big deal. But in the new context that seems to be emerging, to continue to valorize it seems goofy.
 
Actually, I think that Broadway, Michigan Ave., and Oxford St. all easily identify as their city's respective main street. That's not to say that they are they only street in their town with some gravitational force, but there is still prominence to all of them, as there is to Yonge… which will always be our Main Street.
 
I agree with US: even without retail along it's side, the building can make a great impact on Yonge. Mixed-use as a philosophy doesn't require every building to have mixed-uses.
 
Mississauga Slim said:
Yonge st. Is often referred to as Toronto's "main street." but I don't think this is true any longer. It was the case for very many years but I think Toronto is finally evolving into a different kind of place. "Main Street" is essentially a small-town concept. Once a city reaches a certain point, the concept no longer applies. What, for example, would be the "main street" of New York, or Chicago, or London, or any number of large cities?

I would argue that for many years, and until very recently, Toronto belonged in the "big small town" category, and Yonge was its "main street." Now that we seem to be getting beyond that, I think it's also appropriate for Yonge St. to evolve as well.

This also ties in to my opinion re: the Sam's sign. In days of yore, sure it was a really big deal. But in the new context that seems to be emerging, to continue to valorize it seems goofy.
Click to expand...

... and again, don't count Yonge out just yet. There's a reason a 'Main' street is a 'Main' street after all, and in fact there are many in terms of centrality, access to transit, density, critical mass and so on.
 
Parkdalian said:
I agree with US: even without retail along it's side, the building can make a great impact on Yonge. Mixed-use as a philosophy doesn't require every building to have mixed-uses.
Click to expand...

And, goodness knows, Yonge Street won't die as a shopping environment if we skip a half block of relentless retail now and then.
 
It stands in the place of perhaps three former retail establishments. And it will contain retail. I am pretty sure Yonge Street will survive....perhaps even thrive (as the building will attract many more people than most retail establishments).
 
This project really is big hair, isn't it ! And that is not a bad thing.

I said it before - I think this is the right medicine for this nasty part of Yonge. This building will exert a lot of influence. Goodness knows it may even eventually force a rethink of ghastly 10 Dundas East. Good on Ryerson University.
 
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I've always wondered how much of Yonge's vibrancy from Dundas to College can be attributed to Ryerson. It's certainly a major contributer from Monday to Friday. I think many underestimate just how many people go to Ryerson these days, especially when factoring in continuing education students. Far from being a "dead zone," I would think that having such an important building for students at this location would be a substantial driver of foot traffic (at the risk of stating what I thought would be obvious). The fact that it will also have a significant amount of retail only adds to this.
 
Student Learning Centre (SLC) Retail Tenant Selection Services
Reference Number 226221
Solicitation Number PH-RFP-33-2011
Organization Name RYERSON University
OUPMA
Source ID PU.AC.ON.219949.C78830
Associated Components Yes
Published 2011-08-19
Revised
Closing 2011-09-09 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Saving Time EDT
Category Leasing or Rental of Facilities
GSINS
Region of Delivery Ontario
Region of Opportunity Canada
Agreement Type Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT)
Tender Type Request for Proposal (RFP)
Estimated Value < $100,000
Solicitation Method Open
Student Learning Centre (SLC) Retail Tenant Selection Services

RYERSON University is seeking a Real Estate Firm with retail marketing and leasing experience which will assist RYERSON with tenant selection and leasing
of a prominent store front proposed for the north east corner of Gould Street and Yonge Street in downtown Toronto. The Supplier must demonstrate appropriate
industry credentials and qualifications. The Supplier must also demonstrate retail industry knowledge and detailed retail market intelligence from across North
America. The firm’s team lead should be able to demonstrate retail marketing and leasing experience with high profile retailers and a proven track record of
concluding lease transactions that created maximum value to the owner.
Contracting Authority
 
New render showing the retail section on Yonge previously shown as a blank wall...

July21.jpg
 

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