[AndreaPalladio]

The Eatons up there closed before the rest of the chain when bust - it was small and dumpy. It was going when I worked at Edwards Books & Art in the early 90s. It was replaced by what was briefly a fashionable gym - Epic? Eclipse? - something like that

 

[someMidTowner]

The eventual redevelopment of the bus terminal lands and adjacent buildings will be our last chance to get a decent public square at this intersection.

The 1 Eglinton East proposal includes a public square, though we haven't seen too many details just yet.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I'm not sure what a developer could do to counter the fact that its at centre of a wind tunnel. Perhaps extending the silver city wing south (creating a street-wall around Yonge Street) while leaving a square behind would have helped. Having trudged through that square for ten years on a daily basis... I really think it was irredeemable.

Plantings, physical windbreaks, canopy, etc. Not that the square as built was worth redeeming in any case.

AoD

 

[ehlow]

The 1 Eglinton East proposal includes a public square, though we haven't seen too many details just yet.

E condos also seems to have a nice public area at the corner with seating.

Plantings, physical windbreaks, canopy, etc. Not that the square as built was worth redeeming in any case.

AoD

People say things to the effect of "because it was windy it was impossible to make it a good square". However, we'll never know since we never really tried things like adding more trees and public seating. We'll never know if people would've had lunch there, since there were no chairs or tables for people to do so even if they wanted to.

I mean, it's windy on the small patio north of Duke as well, yet people still sit outside and enjoy a beer (when it's warmer).

 

[pw20]

E condos also seems to have a nice public area at the corner with seating.



People say things to the effect of "because it was windy it was impossible to make it a good square". However, we'll never know since we never really tried things like adding more trees and public seating. We'll never know if people would've had lunch there, since there were no chairs or tables for people to do so even if they wanted to.

I mean, it's windy on the small patio north of Duke as well, yet people still sit outside and enjoy a beer (when it's warmer).

You cannot compare the Duke's patio,which is on a small side street to the wind veolicy at Yonge and Eglinton. Because of its geographic height, built form and position at the confluence of two straight arteries wind whips eastward along Eglinton and up Yonge Street.

Public space is inherently important to the neighbourhood and there is a true lack of public space at Y/E; however, advocating for public squares at major intersections doesn't solve the issue. I do not know why people are so obsessed with public space directly at intersections when more creative public space initiatives (the yorkville laneway proposal for example) would better serve the public. A more interesting public space initiative t Yonge and Eglinton would be looking at Orchard View and turning that into a woonerf and building a public realm around the library as cohesive public space for the area.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

I would like to see the public space at Redpath and Eglinton transformed into something with outdoor patios and seating areas.

 

[ehlow]

You cannot compare the Duke's patio,which is on a small side street to the wind veolicy at Yonge and Eglinton. Because of its geographic height, built form and position at the confluence of two straight arteries wind whips eastward along Eglinton and up Yonge Street.

Public space is inherently important to the neighbourhood and there is a true lack of public space at Y/E; however, advocating for public squares at major intersections doesn't solve the issue. I do not know why people are so obsessed with public space directly at intersections when more creative public space initiatives (the yorkville laneway proposal for example) would better serve the public. A more interesting public space initiative t Yonge and Eglinton would be looking at Orchard View and turning that into a woonerf and building a public realm around the library as cohesive public space for the area.

Debating this & wind levels is really a moot point, but I think we can all agree that the square was designed terribly before it was built over.

It was uninviting, barren, no seating, no trees, very little to do and nothing to buy. So either with or without wind the state of it was designed such that it wouldn't be successful as a public space anyways.

 

[AndreaPalladio]

Of course. It's not in the landlord's interest to encourage people to be hanging about outside. They need you inside, buying things.

 

[UD2]

Public squares are public. I'm always relatively amused when some members scold a privately owned for profit business who doesn't volunteer to forgo their for profit mandate to build non profit generating public spaces in the middle of very expensive realestate.

 

[ehlow]

Of course. It's not in the landlord's interest to encourage people to be hanging about outside. They need you inside, buying things.

Public squares are public. I'm always relatively amused when some members scold a privately owned for profit business who doesn't volunteer to forgo their for profit mandate to build non profit generating public spaces in the middle of very expensive realestate.

While it's not technically public space, I'm not sure I understand why creating a vibrant outdoor area there would've been bad for profit. I would think it would've actually been good for profit. Much better than the bare concrete square they had, which generated no money.

For example, supposed they had decided to create a great space that lots of people wanted to be in. If they had successful restaurants with patios on the square and it was vibrant with lots of customers or things like small food/drink stalls, then they would be getting more rent payments from those businesses and therefore it would increase their profit.

If more people want to be in a given place, that tends to be good for business, not bad.

 

[Torontovibe]

Of course a vibrant public square that becomes a destination attracts people, who spend money on food and drinks. Afterwards, they go into the mall and hopefully spend lots of money. I like how the Australians put cafes, restaurants and juice bars in their public squares. They really know how to animate their public squares, streets and alleyways. We need to take note of some of their good ideas but Canadianize it to our climate.

Hopefully they do something like that to the open space on the podium roof.

 

[ehlow]

Of course a vibrant public square that becomes a destination attracts people, who spend money on food and drinks. Afterwards, they go into the mall and hopefully spend lots of money. I like how the Australians put cafes, restaurants and juice bars in their public squares. They really know how to animate their public squares, streets and alleyways. We need to take note of some of their good ideas but Canadianize it to our climate.

Hopefully they do something like that to the open space on the podium roof.

That's true. I mean, in terms of climate, I guess it doesn't matter to me whether it's indoor or outdoor as long as it's a good space for people. I mean, St Lawrence Market for example is an awesome space that feels like a public space (even though it isn't) and is vibrant, urban, yet indoors. I also like the rooftop patios where they cover it up and put up heat lamps so that it can be used all year.

I'm fine with the new mall expansion here actually, assuming it's done well. I just think that the public square as it was before could've been much better all those years. Even if say they put up some food stalls or food trucks there, or allowed a farmers market in the summer or something, it would've probably been used more.

 

[Torontovibe]

It's really not that hard to make an outdoor/indoor space that could be used year round. It can be done using glass that flips open or even temporary structures for winter. They do that for events all the time in David Pecaut Square, like for the film festival. There are lots of ways to make an open area usable in winter. I've seen this done in other cities around the world. We have too many public spaces and squares that sit mostly unused for half the year. We need to find ways to make space useable year round by adapting them to our climate. I hate to see anything wasted and that includes public space/parks.

 

[Roundabout]

View of the west side of the cube:

 

[Roundabout]

February 25th update: