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oct2gon

Guest
Yorkdale renovations

pulse24 did a story about yorkdale's expansion. i had no idea it was going to be like this...

"It was the first indoor mall in Canada. But while Yorkdale Shopping Centre at Dufferin and the 401 may be the granddaddy of retail spaces in Toronto, it’s certainly not showing its age.

The complex is about to renew itself, opening 40 new stores by the middle of this month, including H&M, Old Navy and Sephora. And that’s not all. “We will open Apple, the first store in Canada,†boasts mall consultant Anthony Stokan. “And Mango, out of Spain, but well located throughout Europe.â€

Anyone who’s ever seen one of our Citytv Eyes of Toronto shots trained on the mall’s parking lot might wonder where they’re going to put all those extra customers.

The answer? “We added 200 additional parking spaces,†explains architect Chris Brown. “We added a three-level elevator connection here that is open and …bridges into the parking deck.â€

And there’s the store that used to be the flagship, Eaton’s. It’s now been gutted and a retail phoenix has risen from the ashes – along with a unique skylight.

“The skylight is the first of its kind in Canada. It is all structural glass supported from the top with steel and it opens the mall up to the sky and that's what we're trying to achieve,†Brown reveals. “We have internal escalators and elevators. We are trying to emulate an external experience.â€

But with so many big box stores and megamalls like Vaughan Mills coming to take its place, what Yorkdale really wants to do is get a ringing endorsement from shoppers, while making sure its cash registers keep ringing, too.

And come April 13th, it will have 40 more chances to try."

check out the video. i thought it was the eaton centre at first glance..
oct2gon-york.jpg


www.pulse24.com/Business/Top_Story/20050401-004/page.asp

in other retail news, harry rosen is opening up a flagship store at FCP. it's going to be huge.
 
Wow, Yorkdale's going to look awesome. Thank goodness for the additional parking. It's horrible there every day of the week!
 
Attention News/Assignment Editors:

Yorkdale to unveil $60-million expansion with champagne reception
Media Invited to Preview the Space from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

TORONTO, April 11 /CNW/ - Yorkdale Shopping Centre will celebrate the
completion of its $60-million expansion with a private party for media and the
industry on April 12th, 2005. Invited guests will get a sneak peek of the new
wing as they stroll beneath a soaring, virtually seamless glass atrium
ceiling. This futuristic architectural statement, the first of its kind in
North America, bathes the lofty space in light and creates the feel of outdoor
shopping in year round climate-controlled comfort.
The Jerusalem limestone tiled floor lends elegance to the new Yorkdale
experience, while storefronts as high as three stories create a visually
dynamic interior. Retailers such as Zara, Old Navy and H & M have taken
advantage of the 60-foot-high ceiling to create multi-level stores. The centre
offers unobstructed sightlines where colourful, light dappled storefronts are
set off by wide-open spaces reminiscent of the streetscapes of the great
shopping streets of the world.
The space will be completely transformed for the opening party; twenty-
foot-high red velvet curtains at the entrance will part to reveal the custom
décor, complete with 13,000 carnations and thirteen 17-foot-high statues
wrapped in a specially designed graphic print.
To create a signature look for the party, fashion and the arts have been
brought to life in a variety of unique ways. Yorkdale's creative team has
designed a series of "Living Statues" wearing one-of-a-kind couture costumes
fashioned from Yorkdale retailers' store packaging. A carnival of fabulous
fashionistas will also attend. Inspired by the mas', the masquerade tradition
of the Trinidad Carnival, four "Dancing Mobiles" have been created for the
party. These Mobiles reverse the normal relationship between puppet and
puppeteer and achieve such mobility and animation that they are able to waltz,
tango and dance to Calypso with each other. The four giant revellers will mix
and mingle alongside Yorkdale guests.
Media are invited to preview Yorkdale's expansion between 4:00 p.m. and
6:00 p.m. on April 12th, or attend the party from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. An
official opening presentation will take place at 6:45 p.m. For valet parking
and media sign-in please use the Rainforest Café entrance to the mall. For
further information or to RSVP, please contact OverCat Communications,
416.966.9970: Audrey Hyams Romoff, ext. 222 or Kristin Mills, ext. 225. The
expansion will open to the public on April 13, 2005 at 9:30 a.m. Yorkdale is
located at Hwy. 401 and Dufferin St.
 
Wow, they're going all out... Champagne? Classy! For a mall, anyway.
 
There hasn't been much activity on this thread recently. I'll suggest an issue to converse about. As seen in the recent addition at Yorkdale, the shopping centre is keeping itself competitive by staying on the cutting edge and diversifying its options. Which shopping area/street/centre is most in need of revitalization? I would suggest Bloor St. While it's certainly got an enviable assortment of high-end and medium-range goods, I think too many of the shops can be found in Eaton Centre or Yorkdale. I'd love to see some more Toronto firsts for the shopping strip. Some chains that it could start with? Armani|Exchange, which has a store in Vancouver, but not yet in Toronto. A larger Banana Republic (it's smaller than both Yorkdale and Eaton Centre locations). A nicer façade for the Bay and Holt Renfrew. More big for Toronto's premier shopping district!
 
Yorkdale

Yorkdale

Fairweather will use the former GUESS? store space, as Guess moved towards the Rainforest Cafe for Flagship.

Exited
Beschle Chocolatier Suisse (even if it was a kiosk desK, the only one in Canada at the time)
 
Yorkdale will get an additional 130,000 sf of retail space opening for the end of 2012....they will buildout on the south-side parking lot spanning from Sears to Holt Renfrew.
 
This is true if interesting. If Oxford has deemed it necessary to expand Yorkdale, will they do the same at Square One? Although one might think Square One is already large enough, there is still no room for a Zara, XXI Forever, Pottery Parn, Abercrombie, Hollister, Mango, Holt Renfrew, or any of the other stores you'd expect it to have.
 
The last renovation of Yorkdale was amazing and won a bunch of awards, but don't forget it was to deal with the massive whole left my Eatons and subsequently eatons (sears). Taking a 500,000sf anchor store that pays next to no rent (or is owned by the anchor) and replacing it with large high paying retailers is the mall landlord's dream.

Yorkdale's dominance in the GTA has a lot to do with its location. There are few malls in the continent of Yorkdale's size that offer the density of population, exposure and access. Also, Oxford (Yorkdale/SQ1) has been a bit more entrepreneurial on deal terms than Cadillac Fairview lately
 
Watch for Victoria Secret's models wandering the halls of Yorkdale tomorrow for its grand opening bash....bring your cameras!
 
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