Most importantly, I hope they don't touch the '89 Zeidler masterpiece Sherway food court. There's not a better one I've ever been to. So airy, bright and a joy to eat at.

ScreenShot2011-09-11at41754PM.png


In general, Sherway Gardens is a time capsule of the late 80s/early 90s. Nothing has changed since I first walked through those doors in 1997.
 
I strongly dislike Yorkdale. Its layout is horrible, piecemeal and the mall is always crowded. Sherway's figure eight is such a breeze to navigate and the mall is never as busy as I've seen other malls in the GTA become. Maybe because of the upmarket clientele and shops? There are very few 'budget' stores, if any, at Sherway right now. I just hope the expansion adds an H&M and a Zara, those are sorely lacking.

LOL. H&M and Zara would be the budget stores in Sherway.
 
I strongly dislike Yorkdale. Its layout is horrible, piecemeal and the mall is always crowded. Sherway's figure eight is such a breeze to navigate and the mall is never as busy as I've seen other malls in the GTA become. Maybe because of the upmarket clientele and shops? There are very few 'budget' stores, if any, at Sherway right now. I just hope the expansion adds an H&M and a Zara, those are sorely lacking.

Funny; I know people like my mother who've always been confused and aggravated by the figure eight plan, and who much prefer the "piecemeal" Yorkdale layout...
 
Most importantly, I hope they don't touch the '89 Zeidler masterpiece Sherway food court. There's not a better one I've ever been to. So airy, bright and a joy to eat at.

ScreenShot2011-09-11at41754PM.png


In general, Sherway Gardens is a time capsule of the late 80s/early 90s. Nothing has changed since I first walked through those doors in 1997.

They announced last month that the roof will be replace by BirdAir. It will remain the same but material and quality will be better:

Quote:
Birdair will serve as roofing sub-contractor for the shopping center, replacing the current 37,350 square-foot tensile roof located in the south side wing of the facility with an updated roofing system featuring PTFE, a Teflon®-coated woven fiberglass membrane. The fabric is immune to UV rays, waterproof, and flame resistant.

The new tensile roofing system will replace the facility’s existing fabric roof, installed in 1989 by Birdair. The fabric roof was the first of its kind over a retail building in Canada and earned a Canadian Consulting Engineering award of merit for its design.

“The new roof will match the look of the current multi-cone shaped roof while providing low maintenance requirements and durability,†explains Dave Ricci, Director of Service and Warranty, Birdair. “The roof will enhance Sherway Gardens’ atmosphere and continue its legacy as a local landmark.â€
[/Quote]
 
Im glad to see that the food court will remain. Like someone else said it is very bright and open which is unlike most other food courts. The finishes seem very outdated though, but that goes for the majority of the mall. Parts of it seems very enclosed and dark mostly due to low ceilings.
 
LOL. H&M and Zara would be the budget stores in Sherway.
Very true! It's funny when Zara ends up being considered 'budget'. Anyway, with the expansion, I'm sure Sherway will attract the same luxury retailers Yorkdale has. I wouldn't be surprised seeing a Cartier, Tiffany's and Louis Vuitton in the mall. Problem is, it's very difficult to find available leases at Sherway. There's a low turnover and no expansion in 22 years.
Funny; I know people like my mother who've always been confused and aggravated by the figure eight plan, and who much prefer the "piecemeal" Yorkdale layout...
If you're new to the mall, yes. I've memorized in what wing most stores are (using the anchors such as the Bay and Sears to orient myself); finally, I hate backtracking, I'd rather just walk straight around the mall and see what's new.
They announced last month that the roof will be replace by BirdAir. It will remain the same but material and quality will be better:

Quote:
Birdair will serve as roofing sub-contractor for the shopping center, replacing the current 37,350 square-foot tensile roof located in the south side wing of the facility with an updated roofing system featuring PTFE, a Teflon®-coated woven fiberglass membrane. The fabric is immune to UV rays, waterproof, and flame resistant.

The new tensile roofing system will replace the facility’s existing fabric roof, installed in 1989 by Birdair. The fabric roof was the first of its kind over a retail building in Canada and earned a Canadian Consulting Engineering award of merit for its design.

“The new roof will match the look of the current multi-cone shaped roof while providing low maintenance requirements and durability,” explains Dave Ricci, Director of Service and Warranty, Birdair. “The roof will enhance Sherway Gardens’ atmosphere and continue its legacy as a local landmark.”
[/QUOTE]
Good to know! That thing is an instant landmark for a dreary part of Etobicoke.
Im glad to see that the food court will remain. Like someone else said it is very bright and open which is unlike most other food courts. The finishes seem very outdated though, but that goes for the majority of the mall. Parts of it seems very enclosed and dark mostly due to low ceilings.
Sherway hasn't been renovated or updated in 22 years. It's a time capsule of the 80s, however, I wouldn't say some parts are enclosed and dark, especially not due to low ceilings. All gallerias in the mall have a skylight, or numerous ones. It's just odd seeing such a big mall without a significant second floor.
 
In comparison to other malls, such as Square One, Yorkdale or Eaton Centre, I definitely notice low ceilings.

I just read that in 2007, Extreme Group was hired by Cadillac Fairview to develop marketing initiatives to support Sherway's planned expansion in 2008. So much for that.

There is currently construction underway outside of The Bay. A parking structure was torn down. Perhaps they will be building the new 3 story parking structure there, and an addition will be built where current surface parking is.

I would like to see a large multi level parking structure built to replace much of the surface parking, and retail stores or restaurants, or perhaps even another condo built there - much like how Square One has done with the Whole Foods, Crate & Barrel, etc.
 
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So.....I was just moseying around the internet, looking for random things that might interest me.... and I stumbled across this.

This is from Sherway's FB page, someone (not me) inquired about the expansion, and this was Sherway's Official response. (thought it might interest some here)


Sherway Gardens Official Fan Page
Cadillac Fairview is excited to confirm that it has begun marketing an expanded and renovated Sherway Gardens to potential retail tenants. Although the final scope, budget and phasing of the planned Sherway Gardens redevelopment (tentatively scheduled for commencement in the summer of 2012) are still being finalized, efforts to attract leading global brands to the 41 year old shopping centre have focused on a significant mall expansion, new architectural and design features, a redefined dining experience and greatly increased parking capacity. We're still in the planning process and look forward to providing more information about this exciting redevelopment project one all final details are confirmed.
 
^ Would be wonderful to see a renovated and upgraded Sherway Gardens include a subway extension for the Bloor/Danforth line. There's so much potential for property redevopment in the area but a subway extension is necessary to entice the developers.
 
I actually did my undergrad thesis on the then forthcoming subway extension to Sherway Gardens. That was in 1993. Still no eastbound trains from West Mall & Queensway. I don't expect to see them in my lifetime.

Ironically, the day before I met with someone from Sherway Gardens ownership (Rouse Company at the time) the line was nixed by the provincial government at the time. This gentleman was pretty relieved that the line was cancelled because of security issues. I imagine that Cadillac Fairview would have many of the same concerns today.

I expect Sherway's newest expansion to feature an new & expanded Holt Renfrew; a high end grocery store (Whole Foods) and a signature restaurant. The newest Milestones restaurants are really, really nice.
 
Here's to hope that Milestones is not what CF had in mind as its "signature" restaurant ~ Otherwise that would be said ...
 
Does Yorkdale have "security issues" regarding their subway connection? Or are they glad to have it?
 
Does Yorkdale have "security issues" regarding their subway connection? Or are they glad to have it?

I would guess that it's a bit of both. There was a shooting on the subway station steps not too long ago, but it definitely does increase the traffic within the mall. Even if a lot of that traffic is only there to park their car at 8:30am and jump in it at quitting time. The fact that they may have had to walk through part of the mall along their journey will make them a little more likely to stop off at a shop or two. If I was a retailer I would consider the subway a pro, not a con.
Having said that, I think the subway is one of the major factors that make Yorkdale and Sherway different. Sherway has always seemed much more suburban, both in the way it's hard to access if you don't have a car and the clientele it tends to attract. Not to mention Sherway is right on the edge of the city while Yorkdale is in a somewhat more urban location. If anyone has been to any of the suburban malls outside major cities in places like Florida or New Jersey, they'll know what I'm on about. The kind of places that don't even have sidewalks on the roads leading into the mall, a quiet way of saying if you can't afford to drive here, you probably can't afford to shop here either.

Don't know if it was mentioned before or if it fits into the renovation discussion but Forever 21 is moving into where FG Bradleys and the neighbouring doctor's office used to be.
 
Don't know if it was mentioned before or if it fits into the renovation discussion but Forever 21 is moving into where FG Bradleys and the neighbouring doctor's office used to be.

CF's website (http://www.cfspace.com/pdf/plans/shwop00_floorplan.pdf) shows the FG Bradley, Pearle Vision and Cassis locations vacated, so it makes sense they're combining those units for Forever XXI (like Square One did for Zara).
 

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