Yonge Street Revitalization (Downtown Yonge BIA/City of Toronto)

[evandyk]

We will have Love Park this coming summer; we did get the all granite sidewalks on Bloor; and we did get the much enhanced pedestrian realm on Queen's Quay.

People love to hate it, but the Sugar Beach/Promenade/Sherbourne Common/Aitken Place row is incredibly great for a family down there with a kid. Not as great in the winter, obviously, but we still go down there somewhat regularly to skate.

 

[jozl]

I have to say, Northern Light, you have given me some hope. I’ve been champing at the bit for this to happen since the early 70’s. I am, though, eagerly waiting for the opening of Love Park and now that John Tory is gone maybe Claude Cormier can be convinced, or bribed, to run for mayor. Of T.O.

 

[Northern Light]

I have to say, Northern Light, you have given me some hope.

Glad to hear it. Its hard to champion for making thing better unless you also believe they can be!

I’ve been champing at the bit for this to happen since the early 70’s.

Was born just a bit after you began your activism on this file :O

I am, though, eagerly waiting for the opening of Love Park and now that John Tory is gone maybe Claude Cormier can be convinced, or bribed, to run for mayor. Of T.O.

I'd settle for seeing him appointed head of Parks Capital Projects.....

 

[innsertnamehere]

This summer the major public realm changes opening downtown off the top of my head:

1. Love Park
2. Wellington St (Church to Yonge)
3. Wellington St (Spadina to Portland)
4. Adelaide St reconstruction
5. Bloor St reconstruction (Spadina to Avenue Rd)

decent for this year. Lots more in the next few years as well, including this project. David Crombie Park renoes, John St Revitalization, Kensington Market reconstruction and potential partial pedestrianization, various new parks, etc.

 

[abovegrade]

While I'm looking forward to this project, my ultimate utopic dream would be for Yonge Street to kind of be like how it was in the 70s and 80s — Music venues, culture, art spaces, arcade bars... etc. I find this project interesting but no one will want to congregate in the public realm with all of the big box/chain retail stores currently there.

There will be foot traffic anyway, but we need to bring in more uniqueness and excitement. I'm tired of the soulless retail spaces we see everywhere now. :/

 

[Towered]

While I'm looking forward to this project, my ultimate utopic dream would be for Yonge Street to kind of be like how it was in the 70s and 80s — Music venues, culture, art spaces, arcade bars... etc. I find this project interesting but no one will want to congregate in the public realm with all of the big box/chain retail stores currently there.

There will be foot traffic anyway, but we need to bring in more uniqueness and excitement. I'm tired of the soulless retail spaces we see everywhere now. :/

I totally agree. For our "main street", it's just sad in terms of retail. It has absolutely no vibe or scene on the most "vibrant" part of it (Queen to Bloor). There's nothing that makes me want to stroll the strip like there used to be. Totally lame compared with some of our other great retail streets. And adding a plethora of condo towers will do nothing to fix this.

 

[Northern Light]

While I'm looking forward to this project, my ultimate utopic dream would be for Yonge Street to kind of be like how it was in the 70s and 80s — Music venues, culture, art spaces, arcade bars... etc. I find this project interesting but no one will want to congregate in the public realm with all of the big box/chain retail stores currently there.

There will be foot traffic anyway, but we need to bring in more uniqueness and excitement. I'm tired of the soulless retail spaces we see everywhere now. :/

On behalf of the UT community, I deputize you as our leader in championing a new by-law restricting 'formula retail' (chains) and prohibiting new locations of such stores from opening if they currently have 3 or more locations within the City of Toronto.

Exceptions can be made for any retailer of essentials (such as grocery) where a neighbourhood lacks such a service and is supportive of the new store.

A model by-law exists in San Francisco.

 

[W. K. Lis]

On behalf of the UT community, I deputize you as our leader in championing a new by-law restricting 'formula retail' (chains) and prohibiting new locations of such stores from opening if they currently have 3 or more locations within the City of Toronto.

Exceptions can be made for any retailer of essentials (such as grocery) where a neighbourhood lacks such a service and is supportive of the new store.

A model by-law exists in San Francisco.

Key word "new". A 'formula retail' or chain store could relocate.

I think that 3 within a ward would be better. May prevent Doug Ford from increasing the borders and size of wards, if it bothers his corporate friends.

 

[Northern Light]

Key word "new". A 'formula retail' or chain store could relocate.

I think that 3 within a ward would be better. May prevent Doug Ford from increasing the borders and size of wards, if it bothers his corporate friends.

3 per ward? LOL, with 25 wards, you would be permitting 75 locations of the same chain within the City!

McDs has only 49 Toronto locations, so you'd be permitting another 26.

Don't think that would prove terribly useful.........

 

[evandyk]

I think I have five subways within a 300m radius of my building.

 

[evandyk]

But I suspect that most 600m circles you could draw randomly anywhere in the city would have 0, or at most 1.

 

[isaidso]

I'd settle for seeing him appointed head of Parks Capital Projects.....

In charge of re-designing/re-building our entire public realm would be even better. Walking our streets would be a joy to behold.

 

[ADRM]

Lots more in the next few years as well, including this project.

And of course the Portlands as well, which I think will actually knock folks' socks off. MVVA just do it right, and the scale here is immense. Throw in the extended waterfront boardwalk, the Cherry streetcar loop thing, and, at some point, the reconstruction of that stretch of Queens Quay, and we're talking literally acres of new public realm down there.

 

[abovegrade]

On behalf of the UT community, I deputize you as our leader in championing a new by-law restricting 'formula retail' (chains) and prohibiting new locations of such stores from opening if they currently have 3 or more locations within the City of Toronto.

Exceptions can be made for any retailer of essentials (such as grocery) where a neighbourhood lacks such a service and is supportive of the new store.

A model by-law exists in San Francisco.

Haha. Challenge accepted. There is so much red tape and excuses from city-hall. I'll keep advocating when I can. For culture/art/joy to exist in Toronto, we need to start thinking more about this.

 

[Northern Light]

This seems like a good spot for this:

The Downtown Yonge BIA is asking for input as to what its strategic direction should be over the next few years.

They have a survey out, it asks a bit about your relationship to the area, (visitor/student/resident/employee etc.), what you think of how things are; and then where you think the BIA should focus in the years ahead.

There's a lot of multiple-choice type stuff, but also many write-in spots as well.

Probably about 10M.

Don't have to give your name, but if you do, with an email, your entered to win some stuff.

DYBIA Strategy Survey

Thank you for participating in the Downtown Yonge Street BIA’s (DYBIA) strategic planning survey. The purpose of this survey is to inform a new strategic plan that is in progress to establish priorities, define an appropriate vision for the BIA and support the design of actionable plans to guide...

docs.google.com