agoraflaneur
Active Member
Originally Posted by agoraflaneur
I don't think that Yonge will become Bay street simply because things are redeveloped.
Originally Poster by AlphaTO
What is your basis for making this assertion? It seems to be counterintuitive. If you impose a Bay Street plan with a corrdidor of tall towers along Yonge, isn't it reasonable to expect the same result of a deadening of the street?
This is indeed a complex issue and I don't want to give the impression that I am simply stating this as fact. My main reason for believing that Yonge will remain a vibrant retail strip is its current character. Perhaps I am mistaken since I have only been in Toronto a few years, but I believe Bay street was never a retail strip - Yonge always fulfilled that role.
So, I assume that new developments will include retail. If they don't, I don't support them. As I mentioned, a 5ive-style development is my preferred option, where brick heritage buildings remain to preserve the character and experience.
However, I believe that Yonge in run down right now - and not even in a good way (ie I love Queen and Dundas and Bloor where they are run down because interesting retail appears there to offset the general poverty and cheap businesses). The current businesses are not that much better than the Bay street cleaners in many cases.
So, I would say that fresh retail could provide new energy in the area in a way that would be different than Bay: retailers would want to locate on Yonge and the demand would be met by developers. The potential for Yorkville to move to Yonge is enticing for me; even better would be more artistic Queen-style establishments. Still, anything other than strip clubs and cheap dollar stores everywhere would be better (not that some won't remain).
In the end, the historic position of Yonge as a retail strip combined with its current inability to function as an interesting central arterial for the city lead me to believe that a revitalization with development is possible. Everyone knows Yonge and goes there when they come to Toronto - most are just disappointed with its lost potential. I think it will become MORE of a destination, not less. But the community needs to push for as much heritage and streetscape improvements as possible.
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