Apple is not a luxury brand.
You can make the case for "Premium" but not "Luxury".
Bottom line, if your wares are sold at Walmart you're not "Luxury".
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Flagship Apple Store in Toronto in Jeopardy Due to Legal Battle
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Apple is not a luxury brand.
You can make the case for "Premium" but not "Luxury".
Bottom line, if your wares are sold at Walmart you're not "Luxury".
157 Bloor... The former Club Monaco location is up for grabs. Right on transit (Museum Station), beautiful Royal Ontario Museum views and a nice setback from the street. I could see apple all over this, very much to the effect of the Champs-Élysées store.
Did some digging and found some sort of record between UofT and Apple back in 2018 possibly having negotiations? Or am I just being hopeful?
Well, a hop-skip-away is the former University Theatre, that has been unoccupied for over three years. But Apple would not be able to touch the facade as it is protected by heritage laws. There's a few other locations on the so-called "Mink Mile" that could host an Apple Store. Hudson's Bay will be available across the street.
I wrote the story and I disagree.
It is up to the court to decide if Apple is permitted to terminate the lease.
We don't know the word-for-word terms of the contract.
Apple says they can get out of the lease. Maybe so.
It could also just be a negotiation tactic to secure a better deal ultimately.
I respect if your opinion differs.
Keep in mind, Hudson Bay across the street at 2 Bloor St. East will become available at the end of May. There are no heritage restrictions to it, and Apple probably could have carte blanche in remaking that space. If Apple isn't suing to get out of the lease as a negotiation tactic, my bet is they already secured right of first refusal on the Hudson Bay property.
I've passed this space and thought that many times. Good find. The Club Monaco space is empty and available for lease but it's too small. The south part of the building is occupied by UofT. Apple would have to have them move out and possibly find them a different space or a lot of money to move out in any sort of negotiation.
That is such an ugly building. It would need a massive overhaul to make sense for Apple. I think the former Club Monaco building that someone mentioned above makes more sense if Apple is planning to switch locations in the area.
Slow development in Toronto? Shocking, LOL.
Toronto is a pathetic joke of a city. That city has only TWO subway lines and instead of expanding the subway, they decided to build a streetcar on one of the city's busiest and longest streets; Eglinton. They decided on this in 2007, didn't start building until FOUR YEARS LATER IN 2011 (lol) and STILL isn't done 11 years later.
Toronto has some of the worst development and city planners in the world. Apple should just cut it's losses and move on, they'd be wasting their time.
Toronto is a pathetic joke of a city. That city has only TWO subway lines and instead of expanding the subway, they decided to build a streetcar on one of the city's busiest and longest streets; Eglinton. They decided on this in 2007, didn't start building until FOUR YEARS LATER IN 2011 (lol) and STILL isn't done 11 years later.
Toronto has some of the worst development and city planners in the world. Apple should just cut it's losses and move on, they'd be wasting their time.
The University of Toronto owns the former Club Monaco building, and it has heritage protection. If that doesn't scare Apple off, good, but it is much smaller than the store would be at 1 Bloor West, or at 2 Bloor East.
Are they going to call it an Apple Store Pro? I don't see anything about "Pro" in the article, or are we just naming over used words?
They have the money and they have the track record of not ruining, even enhancing, heritage buildings. I could see UofT agreeing to this. Apple Carnegie Library is a good example of what can be done, though this is absolutely a much smaller space. Maybe a glass box addition to the top?
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The slow development was primarily transit due to decades of political in-fighting at the city council level. But we’ve turned the corner with commitments from all three levels of government.
Commercial and residential development on the other hand is booming.
As far as it being a pathetic city, I wholly disagree. Sure, Toronto is the city other Canadians love to hate. Yet the majority of people immigrating head for TO. Find me a more diverse city in all of North America. There‘s a reason we’re consistently ranked as one of the most livable cities in the world.
We’re not perfect, but hardly pathetic.
One other possible spot could be where the Planetarium was on Avenue Road just south of the ROM. I don’t know what’s going on with that property since they closed up, but it would be a prime location.
Nobody moves to Toronto for any reason other than WORK. That's it. Toronto has NOTHING unique about itself. It is not a 'world class' city in any sense as it offers nothing any other major city does not. The fact that transit is as pathetic as it is, takes Toronto out of the running; if you can't adequately get from point A to B, the city is useless.
It's especially true with visitors. You ever heard anyone say "I'm going to Toronto on vacation!" LOOOOOOL.
You could say the same things about Dallas, TX… which is set to replace Chicago as the 3rd largest city in the USA within the next 10 years. I don’t get it, I’m not sure even Dallas gets it. But people are moving there.
Usually such contracts have force majeure provisions. The dispute is whether a strike and pandemic are considered force majeure (usually they are), and whether those are proximate causes of the delays.
Force majeure typically extends the completion date of the contract but does not otherwise change the contract (in my experience).
Force majeure typically extends the completion date of the contract but does not otherwise change the contract (in my experience).
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The Planetarium site is already slated for a large UofT development:
...yes, I know WT...F?
So, if Apple is going to take up any UofT property along the Mink Mile, the Club Monaco site is an absolute perfect fit.
I still think Apple will follow through with their custom made building at The One.
Mizrahi has been a total amateur with this far too ambitious for his first major development, but it's going to be straightforward to argue that the pandemic was a major contributor to this delay. Not only was there a government mandated prohibition on construction for some time after the pandemic hit, for most of the remaining time, there were government regulatory challenges running a site that were not anticipated when the deal was made. Not just an act of God, but an Act of Government – the one whose laws the court rules on.
The building was custom made to suit Apple – no, not just the retail space but the entire building was engineered the way it was to suit Apple's picky requests – and at this point the space is ready to be handed over for Apple to outfit their store in and the building podium and the sidewalk will be ready for the store opening by the time Apple finishes their own construction.
Ultimately, this will be decided by how a judge sees things but I'd say most judges will err on the side of maintaining a contract, specially given that Apple could take possession today if they so choose.
Yep, in my experience if there is contractual doubt, the doubt favors the Contractor.
Yikes! Who approved that monstrosity?
The scale of the building in relationship to the surrounding ones is offensive.
I for one was pleased to hear Apple was thinking of opening in 'The One', it will a pity if they don't resolve the problems. If I ever make it to Toronto or Canada for that matter, I have every intention to pay this famous corner a visit!
For those of you that may be interested in the original site of 'The One', here's a little history... https://www.torontojourney416.com/stollerys/
Tim Stollery (sadly no relation as far as I know)!
For those of you that may be interested in the original site of 'The One', here's a little history... https://www.torontojourney416.com/stollerys/
Tim Stollery (sadly no relation as far as I know)!
