Toronto 335 Yonge | 55.2m | 16s | Lalani | Zeidler

[bAuHaUs]

Good to hear that HMV is part of this. Bau, Is it all under the same ownership now do you know?

Lalani Group only owns the vacant lot (former Empress Hotel) and a group out of Montreal owns the HMV building (their name escapes me right now).

 

[whatever]

Does the HMV building also include the piece they just segmented off for Five Guys and Silver Snail?

 

[Xray_Crystal_Junkie]

In the render you can see the Five Guys still there, so presumably not.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

I wonder if HMV is the original building that stood there or if it was all demolished and rebuilt in the early 90's? 10 Dundas is built smack up against the back so one can't go back there anymore to examine the rear of the building, yet the brick where the Empress stood looks like old brick that remains.

 

[Northern Light]

Non-Negotiable must on this block is a full second exit for Dundas Station.

However, my wish list is longer.

Were they to incorporate the remaining small retail building to the south, they would directly abut...........what are we calling these days, 10 Dundas East?

Anyways...the opportunity would be there (w/o tearing all of the preceding down, not that I'd miss it) but to integrate the retail and fix that un-holy mess and bizarre layout.

I won't list all the fixes said development needs, but they are legion as we are all aware.

***

A modest sidewalk widening would also be highly desirable.

 

[adma]

Somehow, I think HMV might be all-new upon an existing footprint--ditto w/Guess across the street...

 

[whatever]

I wonder if HMV is the original building that stood there or if it was all demolished and rebuilt in the early 90's? 10 Dundas is built smack up against the back so one can't go back there anymore to examine the rear of the building, yet the brick where the Empress stood looks like old brick that remains.

Are you sure 10 Dundas directly abuts it? I thought they cantilevered the structure over the laneway so that the backs of the buildings were still exposed. At least, that's what they did behind the Empress, and if you look at pictures of the cleared site you can see the lack of western wall on the ground level.

 

[Xray_Crystal_Junkie]

^ You are correct sir.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

I see, thanks! It looks like HMV was a front/interior retrofit with an expanded area piggybacked onto the rear half of the old building. Starvin' Marvin's used to be in there, probably about where the new burger place is now. The Edison is between (and including) the "Dancing Nightly" sign as seen looking east on Yonge, south of Gould St.

1970's -

 

[Torontovibe]

^^ There was a lot more neon on Yonge Street back then. It's sad to see it all (mostly) gone.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Yep, how unfortunate that bright neon signs advertising strip clubs are gone.

 

[Wrenkin]

Yep, how unfortunate that bright neon signs advertising strip clubs are gone.

I think he meant Neon in general, which has historically been considered inherently seedy, but has had a resurgence in recent years. Look at Vancouver.

 

[androiduk]

I like having a part of the city bathed in the light from huge neon signs and flashing bulbs. At night there's a distinct energy and excitement that you don't get from backlits. The new Fiveguys Burger sign is great. It almost looks like they researched the history of that block when they chose it.

 

[innsertnamehere]

I was referencing a the one one the Reynolds block in that picture, it's seems to be the one he (she?) was referencing. Neon signs can certianly be nice though, but not coving up historic facades or advertising for strip clubs.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

I miss neon too, even through it's three or four decades of popularity it was still expensive to maintain. I saw a piece somewhere on the guy who did the neon work on the restored El Mocambo sign, sadly there aren't even many people left who are trained to create and make neon anymore.