Toronto Union Station Revitalization | ?m | ?s | City of Toronto | NORR

[Megaton327]

CXBO is a fancy and now fairly famous chocolate store; their Kensington location is seemingly always busy, and their proprietor, Brandon Olsen (the BO of CX, with the CX being "Chocolates By") gained local food fame for his Faberge egg-esque chocolate desserts at La Banane.

If the Union location is anything like the Kensington one, it's not surprising that there's not a ton of foot traffic; people casually stopping in for a bite isn't really their thing.

Yeah, it's important for proprietors to keep in mind that Union is not Kensington, or Queen West, or King, or the Eaton Centre, even Pearson, or anything like that, it's its own thing.

Pilot is fine, there's always going to be lineups for coffee at AM+PM peak even if 10 or 20 places open in Union, and they built up a following being the only place to get coffee other than Balzac's for the short period between Bay closing and McCafe/Starbucks opening in York, and it's top notch coffee with small snack items and things like salads and yogurt to go.
Danish pastry house--commuters love grabbing pastries to take to the office or to take home.
Union Chicken and Amano--I would have been very skeptical of opening sit-down restaurants rather than fast food or fast casual at Union, but at least UC seems to be doing decently well.
Cxbo--yes, people like chocolate, but at those prices and with so little outwards visibility of what their "thing" is...Rocky Mountain would probably blow it away because of the apples, popcorn, ice cream, etc., Godiva would probably do fine too with the ice cream and drinks.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Danish pastry house--commuters love grabbing pastries to take to the office or to take home.

Yep, guilty as charged. It is so good. Wouldn't mind a Nadege at Union either.

AoD

 

[Richard White]

What is really needed is a Swiss Chalet or a Holts Cafe.

 

[keymaster9]

The CXBO chocolate shop at Union was really just a pop-up shop and was to be opened only a few months until mid-January.

 

[Megaton327]

The CXBO chocolate shop at Union was really just a pop-up shop and was to be opened only a few months until mid-January.

Interesting, I hadn't heard that, and Union's website listed it in the same manner as other retailers.

Also, if it has truly shut down as of today, then it wasn't open months, it was barely open a month, since I believe it opened December 5th 2017.

 

[Richard White]

Interesting, I hadn't heard that, and Union's website listed it in the same manner as other retailers.

Also, if it has truly shut down as of today, then it wasn't open months, it was barely open a month, since I believe it opened December 5th 2017.

Sometimes things seem like a good idea but then you realise they really are not. It is like the former dueling convenience stores where the ramp to departures is, they were a great idea but I doubt they will be back any time soon.

People don't want overpriced chocolate on their way home from work anymore than they want a shot to the head. They would rather have a nice meal while waiting for their train or a proper snack on their way to/from wherever they are going.

 

[Sandpit]

People don't want overpriced chocolate on their way home from work anymore than they want a shot to the head. They would rather have a nice meal while waiting for their train or a proper snack on their way to/from wherever they are going.

It could make a great office gift, especially if it's to/from a client and expensed.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

The idea of putting a high end chocolate store in Union isn't a problem (it isn't that expensive relative to Purdy's even) - the idea of putting one in at the current incomplete state of the station with poor circulation and no retail critical mass is totally one.

AoD

 

[Richard White]

The idea of putting a high end chocolate store in Union isn't a problem (it isn't that expensive relative to Purdy's even) - the idea of putting one in at the current incomplete state of the station with poor circulation and no retail critical mass is totally one.

AoD

I wonder if Lowes or Home Hardware would be a good fit? There are not any in Downtown.

 

[junctionist]

I wonder if Lowes or Home Hardware would be a good fit? There are not any in Downtown.

I thought you were joking when you said Lowes since they're huge big box stores in the suburbs, but Home Hardware would probably increase the area's walkability. Inevitably, people are going to be painting and renovating their condos, so why not walk down the street instead of having to leave downtown?

 

[Richard White]

I thought you were joking when you said Lowes since they're huge big box stores in the suburbs, but Home Hardware would probably increase the area's walkability. Inevitably, people are going to be painting and renovating their condos, so why not walk down the street instead of having to leave downtown?

Exactly. Short of Canadian Tire there is nothing really in the way of minor hardware items downtown. When I worked at the Shangri-La we would send people to Rotblotts on Adelaide as it was the closest place to find hardware items like nails, screws, hammers etc.

Even in Cityplace there is nothing close unless you want to hop in the car or take the subway to Bay and Dundas. If people could walk into Union, get hardware supplied for building ikea furniture or something it would be a money maker. Obviously I am not suggesting they build a full store where you can buy paint (spray or liquid) or 2X4s but something where you can get the basics to assemble a bed or fix a leak in your drain.

 

[nfitz]

Gare Centrale is actually below… Gare Centrale, but its street presence is so diminished, that it's hard to tell. (The station has no grand street frontage like Union, and is mostly surrounded by taller buildings.)

You can get a pretty good look at the station building if you go down Belmont. But no one goes down Belmont.

But here it is. As one can see - there's nothing on top - and you can see where those windows that you see inside the station are.

It's well designed and integrated to the north. Though the connection to the south to Metro Bonaventure was dreadful, going down, and back up, and them up and down and down and down. Used to be faster to go outside and jay walk. Now at least with that new building on la Gauchetiere it's more logical - though still feels like it could be better.

Still, I'd lived there many years, and used it hundreds of times for VIA before I was driving around one day, looking for a quick parking spot late at night to pick up someone coming from New York, when I drove up Mansfield and turned onto Belmont ... and discovered the station sitting there. I'd had no idea what it looked like on the outside. This we before Streetview. And neither Mansfield nor .... WTF, they really named a street after the two-faced devil himself?

 

[smuncky]

I thought you were joking when you said Lowes since they're huge big box stores in the suburbs, but Home Hardware would probably increase the area's walkability. Inevitably, people are going to be painting and renovating their condos, so why not walk down the street instead of having to leave downtown?

There are 2 Home Hardwares in the west end which fit into small spaces. One on Ossington and one in Liberty Village.

There are also some examples of big box Home Depots in NYC and Vancouver.

Home Depot 23rd street, http://www.greenbergfarrow.com/experience/enduser/home-depot-23rd-street-store-design/

Home Depot 3rd Ave, NYC http://www.greenbergfarrow.com/experience/enduser/home-depot-3rd/

Cambie St, Vancouver https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Th...314567db733af!8m2!3d49.2647075!4d-123.1142373

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Can't imagine a big box at Union Station - basement of Aura, sure.

AoD

 

[ADRM]

There are 2 Home Hardwares in the west end which fit into small spaces. One on Ossington and one in Liberty Village.View attachment 132054

View attachment 132055

There are also some examples of big box Home Depots in NYC and Vancouver.

Home Depot 23rd street, http://www.greenbergfarrow.com/experience/enduser/home-depot-23rd-street-store-design/

Home Depot 3rd Ave, NYC http://www.greenbergfarrow.com/experience/enduser/home-depot-3rd/

Cambie St, Vancouver https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Th...314567db733af!8m2!3d49.2647075!4d-123.1142373
View attachment 132056

There's a Home Hardware on Bloor west of Spadina, as well.

I was in that Flatiron Home Depot all the time when I lived in NYC, and it was always just rammed.