[nightstreak]

I think they are doing quite a good job of retrofitting the Nordstrom box and I like what they did with the tiling.

I agree this is being handled as well as could be expected. I'd still have preferred if they had just continued the galleria towards Dundas with stores lining both sides but I get that they're motivated by lease revenue and a corridor doesn't generate revenue.

I dont always say good things about Cadillac Fairview but they've done great work on the skylight. It's both faithful to the original yet somehow also better. The frosted (or was it dirty?) glazing hid the exterior. It's nice being able to see the towers up there. It's also less cluttered with streamlined mullions. Controversial opinion: I don't mind the glass railings.

Seems like they aren't opting for doing too much renovation to the window work (...) They're even keeping the old Nordstrom window stripes. Adding a little bit of green seems to be all they have to do here and I think it fits just well.

Quite a bit of work has occurred to the façade beyond the green tiling. In fact, the fritted glass on the third floor and the Eataly side of the second floor seems to be the only thing they've kept. A few additional changes I've noticed:

- The Nike entrance is completely new. It's wider than the former Nordstrom windows. It now opens up to about the Trinity Entrance

- The Nike second floor windows will be their own.

- The entire façade now has grey trimming all around.

- The obvious big change is that there's now a wide corridor from Nike to the Yonge Street entrance. It goes much further than the Nordstrom door which used to have a wall there.

- The central pillar has received a dark metal cladding which appears to extend to the top and across the corridor entrance.

Here's the before:

 

[Richard White]

Club Monaco is closing.

https://www.reddit.com/r/toronto/comments/1lmrwx7/store_told_us_it_was_permanently_closing2_hours

 

[matrix]

Club Monaco is closing.

https://www.reddit.com/r/toronto/comments/1lmrwx7/store_told_us_it_was_permanently_closing2_hours

Terrible way for the workers to find out. Shame on upper management for doing that.

 

[Richard White]

Terrible way for the workers to find out. Shame on upper management for doing that.

As expected this is second hand info from Reddit so take it with a bag of salt.

 

[matrix]

As expected this is second hand info from Reddit so take it with a bag of salt.

You have a point but I would like to think people would have nothing to gain with lying about this sort of thing... If so, egg on their face. But I absolutely do expect this from some companies, unfortunately!

 

[nightstreak]

Club Monaco is closing.

https://www.reddit.com/r/toronto/comments/1lmrwx7/store_told_us_it_was_permanently_closing2_hours

Club Monaco is in the way of a two story flagship anchor space with street level presence or hospitality use that leverages Eaton Centre's enviable Yonge Street location.

The vacant street level unit (5012sq/ft) has stairs (currently drywalled off) up to the 2nd floor Club Monaco space (10,722 sq/ft). Cadillac Fairview has had trouble leasing the 5,012 sq/ft space by itself. It's been vacant since 2017. It needs a mall connection and Club Monaco would connect it.

I'm all for activating Yonge Street, specially if this becomes a restaurant or pub. If those across the street are any indication, Yonge Street is gaining prominence for hospitality and Cadillac Fairview has lagged behind the opportunity. Eaton Centre needs more mixed uses, specially after hours.

 

[Jonny5]

I'm all for activating Yonge Street, specially if this becomes a restaurant or pub.

If I recall correctly, this was once the space occupied by the famous Lime Rickey's which I went to once sometime in the late 1908's.
Would be great to have that back, though they should be wary of over-saturation of food options in this area.

 

[Dan416]

I don't think it's possible to oversaturated with food options here. If anything I think we need more food options outside the mall.

 

[Richard White]

I don't think it's possible to oversaturated with food options here. If anything I think we need more food options outside the mall.

Mmm I'm not so sure.

Red Lobster, Jack's, Bannock, Trattoria Mercato.. the market is somewhat cornered.

I'd much rather see flagship retail space there to draw people in

 

[Dan416]

Mmm I'm not so sure.

Red Lobster, Jack's, Bannock, Trattoria Mercato.. the market is somewhat cornered.

I'd much rather see flagship retail space there to draw people in

If CF can find someone, sure. Although with the homeless situation in the area, I can understand why CF / retailers wouldn't want to have a lot of street presence.

 

[nightstreak]

If CF can find someone, sure. Although with the homeless situation in the area, I can understand why CF / retailers wouldn't want to have a lot of street presence.

Exactly this. Stores like Armani Exchange once had their Yonge doors open but shoplifters would simply walk out with arms full of clothing and disappear onto the street.

Hospitality is different. A pub or a restaurant works for this strip. The pair of pubs on the other side of the street are 30-60min waits for seating. There’s an Iraqi street food place that spills out onto the sidewalk at all hours of the day and night. Shake Shack still has lineups. The food truck lot at Gould is busy into the night. Yonge Street is an entertainment district. Hard Rock Cafe is back, I just hope to see its former digs filled with something other than Shoppers Drugmart.

For the Eaton Centre space, a sports bar with pub seating at street level and more formal seating on the second floor would make a killing here. The second floor would land at the mall’s main floor because of the grading, giving it a more restaurant vibe better suited to the mall entrance.

 

[khris]

A second floor with open windows to sit by in the summer would be so awesome in that space.

 

[Natika33]

A second floor with open windows to sit by in the summer would be so awesome in that space.

Hear hear! We need more second floor street viewing spots.

 

[mcbg1]

I'm surprised Cheesecake Factory isn't in the downtown core. A space like this would be popular with locals and visitors.

 

[nightstreak]

I'm surprised Cheesecake Factory isn't in the downtown core. A space like this would be popular with locals and visitors.

I think you just found the perfect tenant for this 2 level space.