The Tenor
| File:TorontoLifeSquare.png | |
 | |
| Location | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
|---|---|
| Opening date | 2007 (phased) |
| Developer | PenEquity |
| Management | PenEquity |
| Owner | PenEquity |
| No. of stores and services | 40 |
| Total retail floor area | 360,000 ft² (33,444 m²) |
| No. of floors | 13 (10 above ground & 3 concourses) (Shopping levels to be located on Levels 1 to 4 and Concourse Level 1) (Levels 5 to 10 office space only) |
| Parking | N/A |
| Website | www.torontolifesquare.com |
Toronto Life Square (formerly Metropolis) is a retail, office and entertainment complex development on the north-east corner of the intersection of Yonge Street and Dundas Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The project was originally delayed several times, and sits on a large parcel of prime land in the city's commercial core, on the north side of Yonge-Dundas Square. It is named after Toronto Life magazine.
History
The project was approved in 1998 with the opening originally planned for 2000. The land was expropriated by the City of Toronto immediately afterwards,[1] and while construction boarding soon went up, the project suffered shutdowns and major delays.
Under the control of developers PenEquity, construction finally began in 2003. A phased opening started in late 2007. The AMC Yonge & Dundas 24 (which in the early planning stages had been a 30-plex) opened on March 28, 2008, with a free small popcorn offer for every guest until April 24th, and twenty-four digital auditoriums. As per the original agreement, some cinemas are used in the morning as classrooms of Ryerson University.
Architecture
The project was built in an L-configuration around a number of existing buildings, including a parking garage belonging to the adjacent Ryerson University; in exchange for the air rights to build over its land, Ryerson gained use of the AMC theatres as classrooms during daytime hours.[2]
The exterior facing Dundas Square is primarily covered with giant video screens and static billboard advertisements of various sizes. The Yonge Street facade is made up of curtainwall store fronts with a glass and steel canopy overhanging the sidewalk.
The opening of Toronto Life Square attracted little attention. However, Toronto Star architecture critic Christopher Hume wrote a lengthy piece in the newspaper entitled We don't deserve this horrorchitecture,[1] which decried the building as a "nasty dark grey bunker."
Effect on local economy and tourism
Analysts believe Toronto Life Square will likely stir new commercial and tourist growth in the Toronto downtown area.[citation needed] The growth of commercial prosperity in other more mature commercial districts such as New York City's Times Square, London's Piccadilly Circus and Tokyo's Shibuya have served as the basis for these projections.[citation needed]
Downtown Toronto already has major shopping districts, particularly in the nearby indoor Toronto Eaton Centre shopping complex, the Yorkville area, and parts of Queen Street West. The intention of Toronto Life Square, however, was to attempt to stir development of a different type of shopping area; one that is dominated by billboards and video screens as well as high density buildings in an outdoor shopping area similar to Times Square in New York City.
Retail
Toronto Life Square is anchored by the state-of-the-art AMC 24 Theatres, flagship Future Shop store, Adidas Sport Store and restaurants including Jack Astor's and Milestone's,[3] which both have patios which allow dining with a view of the busiest area in Toronto. The building also boasts a unique 3rd floor food court with floor-to-ceiling windows and soft seating area as well as a variety of food options. The concourse level offers an alternate selection of food and drinks for subway riders to "grab and go."
See also
References
