Toronto Five St Joseph | 160.93m | 48s | Five St. Joseph | Hariri Pontarini

[Traynor]

...Worst of the Internet.

As for Me? I dislike blatant hyperbole. Like the above. After all, my post must be worse than child porn, Neo-Nazi and Al-qaida websites all put together.

When Kyle Rae moved into 70 Alexander he did an interview with a local paper that stated it was his mission to clean up Church Street and turn it into an extension of Yorkville. He wanted all the bars gone and replaced with fine dining eateries, art galleries and haute couture boutiques. (Despite the fact that those choosing to live in the area at the time were against this idea.) When faced with descent from the masses, he stated at a meeting at the 519 Community Centre, (and I paraphrase) that once the changes begin they will get used to it or move away. Deliberately imposing his vision on the neighbourhood and not what the people wanted.

 

[SP!RE]

What some people are forgetting, and urbandreamer has perhaps challenged, is that just because you have nicely restored old blocks of shops, doesn't mean they need to be filled with expensive shops. You can have a variety of uses and types of retail and services in these old buildings.

Gentrification is not the only way to renew an urban area-- in fact, it's highly uncreative and in many cases detrimental to the working poor and other urban communities. Yes, Yonge Street could use a few more places that are high-end (it's currently very trashy) but the main problem is the state of the buildings-- not the shops housed in them.

We can have restored (or even cleaned-up, layers-of-paint-removed, tacky signage torn down) buildings that have your average-joe retailer in them.

 

[JasonParis]

I've never read anything anywhere ever that suggests Kyle Rae said any such thing. I think there's a tad of truth between the hyperbole, but little.

 

[Sir Novelty Fashion]

Alright, not "worst of the Internet." I take that part back. Just "emblematic of what's wrong with it."

Whatever he may or may not have said to a newspaper years ago, he just doesn't have the power to single-handedly change the demographics of a street.

 

[Tewder]

What some people are forgetting, and urbandreamer has perhaps challenged, is that just because you have nicely restored old blocks of shops, doesn't mean they need to be filled with expensive shops. You can have a variety of uses and types of retail and services in these old buildings.

Gentrification is not the only way to renew an urban area-- in fact, it's highly uncreative and in many cases detrimental to the working poor and other urban communities. Yes, Yonge Street could use a few more places that are high-end (it's currently very trashy) but the main problem is the state of the buildings-- not the shops housed in them.

We can have restored (or even cleaned-up, layers-of-paint-removed, tacky signage torn down) buildings that have your average-joe retailer in them.

Not to offend the poor or anything but this is Yonge Street after all. Aren't there other less important and less central commercial strips that might be more appropriate for dollar stores, porn shops and second hand book shops and that will fill in for this particular gap in the urban fabric? As a bridge between Bloor/Yorkville and the Yonge/Dundas Square area it is somewhat inevitable that the character of Yonge street north of Dundas is going to change enormously, and 'Five' bodes well for the potential this change may have.

 

[threnody]

He might not have said that, but he was quoted recently in Xtra saying there will never be another dance floor in the village, because it's a residential area. Apparently people can go get sloshed out of their minds without issue, but once they start dancing it's a big problem. Anyways while I can't speak to the larger accusation, it does indicate that he does tend to favour the sterilization of the neighbourhood.

 

[condovo]

We can have restored (or even cleaned-up, layers-of-paint-removed, tacky signage torn down) buildings that have your average-joe retailer in them.

Ideally, yes; in reality, no. Once a building is restored its value increases, landlords demand higher rent, old businesses get pushed out, and new ones come on board, usually higher-end. Anyway, I don't want Average Joe retailers on Yonge. Doesn't mean I want Armani but I don't want dollar stores either. This is Toronto's main drag; its front door. It deserves better. Hopefully, Five is just the start of its long-overdue rehab.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

As for Me? I dislike blatant hyperbole. Like the above. After all, my post must be worse than child porn, Neo-Nazi and Al-qaida websites all put together.

When Kyle Rae moved into XXXXX he did an interview with a local paper that stated it was his mission to clean up Church Street and turn it into an extension of Yorkville. He wanted all the bars gone and replaced with fine dining eateries, art galleries and haute couture boutiques. (Despite the fact that those choosing to live in the area at the time were against this idea.) When faced with descent from the masses, he stated at a meeting at the 519 Community Centre, (and I paraphrase) that once the changes begin they will get used to it or move away. Deliberately imposing his vision on the neighbourhood and not what the people wanted.

Actually, your wrong. Kyle Rae has publicly described the Church-Wellesley Village as vibrant and organic. Before where he lives now he lived on Wellesley just west of Church for many years. I can practically quote him when he said "I love a neighbourhood where you will find a lineup at a pizza joint at 4am". Knowing Kyle Rae I can assure you with every fibre in my body that what you are describing above is completely untrue. There have been some hits and misses with projects in Rae's riding but compare it to any other and observe all the successes.

Finally, if you have any fibre of morality you will go back to your post and edit out his current address. Listing a high profile politician's home address on a public discussion board is inexcusable.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

dt_toronto_geek:

I agree with your assessment - but to be fair, Kyle Rae's place of residence is pretty much a public knowledge.

AoD

 

[buildup]

Lets say its premature to start fretting about gentrification of Yonge Street. Crappy little places which we love to walk past but would never patronize aren't under threat. In fact, as the economy slows for real, the crap will overrun the small outposts of civility some are worried about.

Yonge needs a little more diversity for its own good. It wouldn't kill the street to attract some employed, straight, 50+, non-pierced pedestrians or (most exotic of all) real shoppers. We're making it safe for them providing entry/exit through St Joseph Street.

 

[greenleaf]

I think Yonge Street between Bloor and College is going to be completely overhauled when Aura, Five, and One Bloor are finished (as well as whatever other developments come through the pipeline). The stripper stores will migrate elsewhere. I can see bistros popping up. As long as Bar Volo sticks around, I'll be happy.

This note from today's Yonge Street Media update is definitely appropriate at this point in the thread:

from: http://www.yongestreetmedia.ca/devnews/

It's the Yonge Street side [of Five] that may end up having the greatest effect on the area, and the city at large.
"I would love to put in the kind of uses, relating to food, that you see on Church Street, like Cumbrae's and Pusateri," says MOD Developments' president and CEO Gary Switzer, formerly of Great Gulf Homes, of the five buildings he's bought and will completely renovate and restore. "Yonge Street has a little Sobey's up the street, but with the number of people living in the area, it could support a good fruit store."

When it is suggested that the reason Yonge Street doesn't have a fruit store is that the rents are too high to make one feasible, Switzer says that he has the "flexibility" to modulate rents to attract the sorts of businesses he'd like to see there, and that would best serve the future residents of 5 St. Joseph.

"I've walked those blocks so many times," he says, "and the buildings themselves are quite nice individually, but because the retail is so bland and unappealing, it's not like you have any landmarks that you can say, 'Let's eat over here," or "Let's go over there.' I think it's getting better, but I think it needs a lot of work."

 

[luxome]

HUGE line up right now!

 

[grey]

When it is suggested that the reason Yonge Street doesn't have a fruit store is that the rents are too high to make one feasible, Switzer says that he has the "flexibility" to modulate rents to attract the sorts of businesses he'd like to see there, and that would best serve the future residents of 5 St. Joseph.

Imagine if the City had that kind of power.

 

[Urban Shocker]

We'd discover that there's an entire new/old city hiding in plain view if we restored enough of these old red brick commercial fronts. The restored front of the building at the corner of Parliament and Winchester was certainly enhanced when the Tim Hortons opted to downplay their signage ( even though the Subway sign next to it is the usual screaming match ).

 

[Mike in TO]

Imagine if the City had that kind of power.

If the City wants to purchase older buildings, pay for the renovations and charge below market rents (which is essentially what Mr. Switzer suggested he would do at Five) then they certainly do have that power... if on the other hand you are suggesting that the city should establish what commercial property owners should charge for rent that's another issue altogether.