Manulife Place Renovations | 145.99m | 36s | AIMCo | MdeAS

What do you think of this project?

  • Total voters
    27
archited said:
^^^^ Wrong 'O! There is a powerful correlation between Retail and Entertainment -- WEM is an excellent example of that -- and we are already seeing the development of additional entertainment venues in and around the ICE district. To be certain there will be starts and subsequent failures, but the trend line will underscore new development in the Retail realm. I understand that you can't see that considering your pronounced negative view on all things "Edmonton"... time will tell who is right (ahem... ME) and who is wrong (psst... YOU).
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I get your point generally, but WEM was/is an exception and shouldn't be compared to ID. WEM was a brand-new conception and ahead of its time hence why it became so famously worldwide and has established itself as a destination - even today. I will agree that the I-District will become successful down the road; the only question is when? If there is only a specific demographic living downtown, it will be a failure. If ID is a community central entertainment hub, we need a COMMUNITY, so where and when is that community coming about?
 
westcoastjos said:
How many people here have actually been downtown lately and ventured beyond the Ice District? There are a LOT of empty podiums, specifically in places that just before the pandemic were bustling.

Being the realist that I am, Simons is a pipe dream for downtown Edmonton if they are struggling in Calgary that has at least double the downtown population of Edmonton, if not more. I think Henry Singer will do well in Ice District. More exposure will do them well. A ton of people don't even know they have a store in Manulife. Hit up a hockey game and drop a bunch of cash on a new pair of jeans or buy a suit if that is what you're after. Simons would have to be closer to ID to effectively catch those crowds. People don't venture very far for offerings if they aren't unique. Simons isn't unique to Edmonton.

Yes, Calgary downtown has some other options, Harry Rosen, BB, etc that compete with some of Simons offerings. However, so does Edmonton with HS, the Helm, and a few other shops.
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Just major menswear options in YYCDT:

The Bay
Simons
Holt
HR
Club Monaco
H&M
Gap
Tip Top
Banana Republic
Brookes Brothers
Browns
 
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IanO said:
Just major menswear options in YYCDT:

The Bay
Simons
Holt
HR
Club Monaco
H&M
Gap
Tip Top
Banana Republic
Brookes Brothers
Browns
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We used to have four of these, maybe more? Did we ever have Tip Top downtown or Le Chateau perhaps? Gap, Bay, Club Monaco, and Holt that I recall.
 
jason403 said:
However most people don't live downtown and probably don't want to be forced to drive downtown for such amenities. Traffic and parking are always more difficult downtown than other parts of the city.

In the past it was necessary to have downtowns to serve an entire city with unique experiences and retail. That may no longer be the case.
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That argument is just nonsense. In a city of around a million, most people do not live in any one area. For instance, most people in Edmonton don't live close to WEM, South Common or Southgate or Londonderry either.

People are being forced to drive greater distances here, because there is nothing close by. Every neighbourhood deserves a decent level of goods and services. People who live downtown should not be treated as second class citizens, dismissed or looked down upon.
 
God said:
To be fair Le chateau was failing in many locations around the city and not just ecc.
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Yes, good old Le chateau, the 80's are calling. I remember when it was quite trendy, but that was a while ago. On that note, Woodwards and Eatons (never that trendy as I recall) were also around too back then.
 
kcantor said:
^^
and henry singer
^
both were in city centre if my memory is correct.
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Correct that both were in City Centre.

As per retail in general, just follow the American markets where Amazon has taken over. Many retail giants are on the verge of bankruptcy nor closing out.
 
^^^^
Calgary: Few details are known on what will happen to the upper levels of the flagship Calgary Bay store once it is downsized to three levels — the company says for now that they may be used for e-commerce fulfillment. Each of the floor plates in the 448,834 square foot downtown store span about 58,000 square feet which means the three level store would span about 175,000 square feet of retail space. As a comparison, the CF Chinook Centre Bay store spans about 206,500 square feet and the CF Market Mall Bay store is about 200,000 square feet according to landlord Cadillac Fairview.

Several years ago the sixth floor of the downtown Calgary Bay store became an event space operated by Toronto-based Oliver & Bonacini, and part of the main floor of the store was segregated for a 5,000 square foot restaurant called The Guild. The downtown Calgary Bay store lacks the luxury brands found in the Vancouver and Toronto stores with the CF Chinook location having the most robust selection of higher-end brands of any Bay store in Calgary.
 
archited said:
^^^^
Calgary: Few details are known on what will happen to the upper levels of the flagship Calgary Bay store once it is downsized to three levels — the company says for now that they may be used for e-commerce fulfillment. Each of the floor plates in the 448,834 square foot downtown store span about 58,000 square feet which means the three level store would span about 175,000 square feet of retail space. As a comparison, the CF Chinook Centre Bay store spans about 206,500 square feet and the CF Market Mall Bay store is about 200,000 square feet according to landlord Cadillac Fairview.

Several years ago the sixth floor of the downtown Calgary Bay store became an event space operated by Toronto-based Oliver & Bonacini, and part of the main floor of the store was segregated for a 5,000 square foot restaurant called The Guild. The downtown Calgary Bay store lacks the luxury brands found in the Vancouver and Toronto stores with the CF Chinook location having the most robust selection of higher-end brands of any Bay store in Calgary.
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I went to the Calgary downtown Bay store some years ago and it was looking a bit shabby and frayed even then. While it has so far avoided the fate of Edmonton's (and other cities) downtown Bay stores, I have a feeling it is headed that way eventually.

I do like the Bay, but it seems it is turning into a high priced boutique for things you can buy elsewhere for a better price or with better service. Like Eatons' I suspect it will hang on a while a while longer in the more affluent markets that tolerate that strategy better, such as Chinook Centre in Calgary and Southgate here.

I feel they have given up trying to be price competitive and that usually means volumes go down, that causes prices to go even higher and it can become a self destructive cycle, but I could be wrong. I haven't gone there much since the downtown Edmonton location closed. Their other locations here are just not as convenient for me. There are a couple Winners nearby, so I sometime go there - great prices, but can be hit and miss on quality and selection.
 
What was once Holt Renfrew (pedway level)

20221116_165409.jpg
 
Gronk! said:
What was once Holt Renfrew (pedway level)

View attachment 439584
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One more odd thing about commercial landlords I'll never understand - they always seem to spend money to completely gut the space and then it sits empty forever.

Isn't that just wasting good money or do they somehow just pass the cost on to their other tenants? As a commercial space tenant, I don't find a totally gutted space more attractive.
 
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