[TheTigerMaster]

Beyond the gentrification of Eglinton West between Eglinton West and Keele stations, I'm also concerned about the effects the Crosstown will have on neighbourhoods in Scarborough. The strip malls there host many small, family owned businesses that are important to the community. I'm concerned that the Crosstown will trigger development that'll replace these small businesses with more expensive units that only large chains and banks can afford.

I'm not opposed to the redevelopment of the strip malls, but there should be strict regulations to maintain today's store frontage sizes, and rent control to ensure that smaller businesses aren't priced out of the community.

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

Beyond the gentrification of Eglinton West between Eglinton West and Keele stations, I'm also concerned about the effects the Crosstown will have on neighbourhoods in Scarborough. The strip malls there host many small, family owned businesses that are important to the community. I'm concerned that the Crosstown will trigger development that'll replace these small businesses with more expensive units that only large chains and banks can afford.

I'm not opposed to the redevelopment of the strip malls, but there should be strict regulations to maintain today's store frontage sizes, and rent control to ensure that smaller businesses aren't priced out of the community.

Except the payday loan places. They can be replaced.

 

[smallspy]

I'm curious about what triggeredthat changeover.

Probably the same set of factors that resulted in many ethnic groups - Jews and Portuguese to name but two others - with moving up and out of the City. Built-up wealth and a dream of a little "plot of land to call their own". Call it "The Canadian Dream".

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[crs1026]

Probably the same set of factors that resulted in many ethnic groups - Jews and Portuguese to name but two others - with moving up and out of the City. Built-up wealth and a dream of a little "plot of land to call their own". Call it "The Canadian Dream".

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

Smallish, older houses that presented affordable first-home housing opportunity, plus other amenities (including small business opportunities on the main street, good transit, low crime and a fundamentally livable neighbourhoodscape) that enabled arriving ethnicities to buy in, get established, and build a community....but not upscale enough to remain attractive as the community became more affluent. Good old concentric zone theory at work.

The danger of the arriving RT is that it becomes another opportunity district for monster home conversion, and with development the rents on the main street commercial zone rise to the point that the smaller businesses (oriented to the community) are pushed out in favour of chain stores or nail parlours. The incoming immigrant communities - and Toronto is not finished attracting new ethnicities as immigration continues - end up going elsewhere.

- Paul

 

[A Torontonian Now]

I am not necessarily pro-gentrification of Eglinton West, but am hugely pro-intensification. If that intensification brings some gentrification, that may be a necessary evil.

This area is bound to become more urban with a subway under it and with Eglinton Connects, and I do not see that as a bad thing. Yes, property values will go up, but that won't force anyone to move or sell, and residential rents in most of the neighbourhood are protected to the mandated maximum annual increase, usually in the range of 1%. Yes, some of the current retail may get kicked out, but others may remain and thrive or may move from Eglinton to more marginal streets with less expensive and available storefronts, like near Five Points.

I don't see how an influx of new residents will make the sky fall in Eglinton West, and one needs to remember that neighbourhoods are constantly changing, particularly in terms of their demographics, constantly, no matter what. That is the nature of a city.

 

[sixrings]

People must hate empire midtowns condo at oakwood advertising
"NEW DEMOGRAPHICS, NEW COMMUNITIES"

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Yes, some of the current retail may get kicked out

That's a huge problem, and one of the primary drivers of gentrification. When retail rents go up, and the family businesses in the community are forced to leave, the rest of the neighbourhood that lives in the community often follows with them. I don't know if there's rent control on commercial businesses, but there should be in areas that are at high risk of gentrification.

 

[salsa]

Beyond the gentrification of Eglinton West between Eglinton West and Keele stations, I'm also concerned about the effects the Crosstown will have on neighbourhoods in Scarborough. The strip malls there host many small, family owned businesses that are important to the community. I'm concerned that the Crosstown will trigger development that'll replace these small businesses with more expensive units that only large chains and banks can afford.

That's exactly what's been happening downtown for a while now and city hall is still not doing much about it.

 

[Steve X]

That's a huge problem, and one of the primary drivers of gentrification. When retail rents go up, and the family businesses in the community are forced to leave, the rest of the neighbourhood that lives in the community often follows with them. I don't know if there's rent control on commercial businesses, but there should be in areas that are at high risk of gentrification.

Remember, these are the same people who were opposing LRT because it blocks left turns into their strip mall. They rather have a subway but not realize a subway will just turn their business into a condo.

 

[dowlingm]

One of the unfortunate effects of transit construction is that the pre-existing businesses get hammered by disruption during it, leaving them in a weakened state when the landlord decides he can renovict them and get a chain store instead. I wonder if there are any municipalities who have figured out a way to assist such businesses in a fair way.

 

[PMT]

Not sure if it belongs in this thread, but all this talk reminds me of a conversation I had with my sister. We were discussing if any of the neighbourhoods along the Finch West LRT (for example, Jane and Finch, Emery, Jamestown) are likely to be gentrified in the future. She's worried that they will be, but I'm hoping the city will push to revitalize the areas instead - similar to Regent Park, Lawrence Heights, etc.

 

[Woodbridge_Heights]

One of the unfortunate effects of transit construction is that the pre-existing businesses get hammered by disruption during it, leaving them in a weakened state when the landlord decides he can renovict them and get a chain store instead. I wonder if there are any municipalities who have figured out a way to assist such businesses in a fair way.

Perhaps a rebate offered to affected business for the 3 - 5 yr period following the end of construction. It could come in the form of a income/business tax credit (municipal, provincial, or federal), or some other benefit.

 

[dowlingm]

Not sure if it belongs in this thread, but all this talk reminds me of a conversation I had with my sister. We were discussing if any of the neighbourhoods along the Finch West LRT (for example, Jane and Finch, Emery, Jamestown) are likely to be gentrified in the future. She's worried that they will be, but I'm hoping the city will push to revitalize the areas instead - similar to Regent Park, Lawrence Heights, etc.

The city model for revitalization - notably in Regent Park - has been what some people would consider gentrification. Still some "reality" left in the area though, judging by the dude who biked diagonally through the intersection of Sherbourne and Dundas yesterday, wobbling alarmingly as he went.

 

[TrickyRicky]

Eglington will gentrify. End of story. There is nothing you can do about it. However, don't think this will happen overnight. Commercial properties are sticky to their existing communities. Commercial gentrification can lag residential gentrification by 10-20 years to the point where you get the bizarre scenario where the commercial and residential side-streets are completely disconnected from one another.

Also, we don't need to go overboard and predict gentrification washing across the city in every location where transit is present. As a whole the median Toronto resident is getting poorer not richer. Gentrification or not that can't be viewed as a positive in my mind regardless of what status quo neighbourhood gets "preserved". However I thing in regards to Eglington at Oakwood I think the area is already gentrified so the commercial will naturally follow. In this example the gentrification is kind of "White" gentrification but I don't think we should fall into the trap of thinking "White" means rich. Toronto has a demographic make-up that is diverse and ethnic minorities who are actually richer than "white" people. Also, these families buying houses in the area are the ones with the most debt and most vulnerability to a market correction or future rising housing costs.

 

[Hopkins123]

Eglington will gentrify. End of story. There is nothing you can do about it. However, don't think this will happen overnight. Commercial properties are sticky to their existing communities. Commercial gentrification can lag residential gentrification by 10-20 years to the point where you get the bizarre scenario where the commercial and residential side-streets are completely disconnected from one another.

Also, we don't need to go overboard and predict gentrification washing across the city in every location where transit is present. As a whole the median Toronto resident is getting poorer not richer. Gentrification or not that can't be viewed as a positive in my mind regardless of what status quo neighbourhood gets "preserved". However I thing in regards to Eglington at Oakwood I think the area is already gentrified so the commercial will naturally follow. In this example the gentrification is kind of "White" gentrification but I don't think we should fall into the trap of thinking "White" means rich. Toronto has a demographic make-up that is diverse and ethnic minorities who are actually richer than "white" people. Also, these families buying houses in the area are the ones with the most debt and most vulnerability to a market correction or future rising housing costs.

Yeah, Eglinton and Oakwood will gentrify the same way Bloor and Lansdowne or Danforth and Greenwood/Coxwell/Woodbine hasn't gentrified after all these decades.