JasonParis
Moderator
Not sure how I feel about this thing. I wonder if it could have been "saved" by putting all the parking underground and putting a public square/park on top.
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Stockyards, The (30 Weston Rd. @ St. Clair, retail, Trinity, 2s, GreenbergFarrow)
- Thread starter CharmAlarm
- Start date
the lemur
Senior Member
Yeah, I don't see why they made it so sprawling. Seems very pedestrian-unfriendly and conducive to driving from store to store.
drum118
Superstar
<Sarcasm>It would help more with driving from store to store if they built a bridge from the south lot to the north lot.</Sarcasm>
The north and most of the south could had underground parking since the land was below grade before they had to remove some of the earth to put clean fill in to replace it.
I said from the beginning that residential should be above this complex even if it was only 10's high.
Some of the top could be a park, but poorly used by the area. You could have put a greenhouse farm there to grow food and sale it to the public and local business.
The north and most of the south could had underground parking since the land was below grade before they had to remove some of the earth to put clean fill in to replace it.
I said from the beginning that residential should be above this complex even if it was only 10's high.
Some of the top could be a park, but poorly used by the area. You could have put a greenhouse farm there to grow food and sale it to the public and local business.
junctionist
Senior Member
Some progress has been made in terms of how the big box stores treat St. Clair, but the shopping centre still repeats the problems of suburban big box plazas. A lot of land is wasted on parking. Long stretches of two major streets--Weston and Gunns roads--are reduced to sterile dead zones lined with blank walls. The Stock Yards is still a place that repeats the mistakes of suburban retail in a central urban location.
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Torontovibe
Senior Member
This does not look well designed to me. A few simple changes could have made it a lot more pleasant for pedestrians and more of destination. They missed a good opportunity to create something functional, urban and interesting. It's not a disaster but it could have easily, been so much better with a few tweaks.
Including 5 floors of rental apartments above the retail, would have been a big plus for the development and the city.
Including 5 floors of rental apartments above the retail, would have been a big plus for the development and the city.
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JasonParis
Moderator
It could have been a more down-market Don Mills Centre, but they missed the opportunity unfortunately.
adHominem
Senior Member
Things are going on inside.
Terrifying things.
Terrifying things.
LUVIT!
Senior Member
Great pic!!
neuhaus
Senior Member
I checked it out this weekend when all of the large stores were open.
The place was bizzarely designed. You not only need a car to get there, but I could see people going from store to store by car too. For people who live in the area, it is not a pleasant experience getting there as you need to get up to the third floor to get to many of the shops and you will probably need to walk through the huge parking structure to get to a stair or elevator.
Not knowing how the plaza was laid out I instinctly parked on the ground floor and found myself walking around the perimeter of the parking lot and walking up three levels of stairs to get to most of the retail stores. Other shoppers there were confused too as they were asking for directions while walking up the stairs of the parking structure hoping to find something. There really needs to be some proper signage and wayfinding here.
Because of this confusing retail arrangement many of the cars were parked all over the lot, not concentrated towards entrance points like most shopping malls, which I think is a good thing but I think this will change as people will get more familiar with the place.
Traffic around in this area is pretty bad too and it doesn't seem that they paid any attention to this. There is a transit median along St. Clair St. so you can only turn right on that street when leaving south by car, and the traffic on Keele Street from St. Clair to Dundas is bumper to bumper.
The place was bizzarely designed. You not only need a car to get there, but I could see people going from store to store by car too. For people who live in the area, it is not a pleasant experience getting there as you need to get up to the third floor to get to many of the shops and you will probably need to walk through the huge parking structure to get to a stair or elevator.
Not knowing how the plaza was laid out I instinctly parked on the ground floor and found myself walking around the perimeter of the parking lot and walking up three levels of stairs to get to most of the retail stores. Other shoppers there were confused too as they were asking for directions while walking up the stairs of the parking structure hoping to find something. There really needs to be some proper signage and wayfinding here.
Because of this confusing retail arrangement many of the cars were parked all over the lot, not concentrated towards entrance points like most shopping malls, which I think is a good thing but I think this will change as people will get more familiar with the place.
Traffic around in this area is pretty bad too and it doesn't seem that they paid any attention to this. There is a transit median along St. Clair St. so you can only turn right on that street when leaving south by car, and the traffic on Keele Street from St. Clair to Dundas is bumper to bumper.
You don't need to drive there. There's a streetcar that runs east-west right past it, and a bus that runs north-south. In my case I walked there and TTCed home.
Yes, the giant above-ground garage is oddly designed and there is not enough signage yet. More signage won't solve all the problems. You don't have to take stairs; there are elevators, the size of bedrooms.
Drivers will figure out soon enough how to go east on St. Clair when leaving the lot, but…
Yes, traffic in the area is bad, and this place will only make it worse. The St. Clair streetcar should never have been given a separated right-of-way through the underpass until the underpass was widened (which all should have happened at once). Keele, I dunno how to fix. The area should get a station either on the GO line (after CityRail-ification) or the DRL west subway extension sometime in the future. Good luck until then.
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Yes, the giant above-ground garage is oddly designed and there is not enough signage yet. More signage won't solve all the problems. You don't have to take stairs; there are elevators, the size of bedrooms.
Drivers will figure out soon enough how to go east on St. Clair when leaving the lot, but…
Yes, traffic in the area is bad, and this place will only make it worse. The St. Clair streetcar should never have been given a separated right-of-way through the underpass until the underpass was widened (which all should have happened at once). Keele, I dunno how to fix. The area should get a station either on the GO line (after CityRail-ification) or the DRL west subway extension sometime in the future. Good luck until then.
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W. K. Lis
Superstar
Walked around on Saturday. Don't need a car. I expect it to be better when spring really arrives. Work still being done. Empty stores available for lease, but most stores still not open. Those stores that are open are getting browsers or window shoppers.
There should have been more multi-use buildings, offices and residential. Very little green space within. Could be done better.
Went into the Target. The registers themselves are having problems. Could be hardware, software, or the cashiers themselves not being familiar with using them.
There should have been more multi-use buildings, offices and residential. Very little green space within. Could be done better.
Went into the Target. The registers themselves are having problems. Could be hardware, software, or the cashiers themselves not being familiar with using them.
JasonParis
Moderator
Please Instagram this!
It's not in my camera roll, sorry. 
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JasonParis
Moderator
Oh right, they are in your bed.