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

[IanO]

It's a start, very little step forward and positive... but what a hill to climb.

 

[David A]

It's a start, very little step forward and positive... but what a hill to climb.

Its certainly not the time for Manulife to pat itself on the back about getting a new tenant, they sure have a heck of a lot of work to do still.

Is that all the space Ace is taking, just in front or is that temporary until something behind is finished?

 

[Daveography]

View attachment 478236

My co-worker and I are in this photo. Nice timing.

 

[cmd uw]

Its certainly not the time for Manulife to pat itself on the back about getting a new tenant, they sure have a heck of a lot of work to do still.

Is that all the space Ace is taking, just in front or is that temporary until something behind is finished?

The kiosk is temporary while they finish building out their space.

 

[Gronk!]

I'm placing bets that this escalator renovation will be a make-work project that won't be completed until Christmas - kinda like the recently completed escalator projects at Commerce Place.

 

[Gronk!]

 

[IanO]

 

[_urbanite]

What was the name of that brick building to the far right?

 

[itom987]

I miss seeing the curved corner of the old Eatons department store, that building would have aged gracefully.

 

[danby85]

The building in yellow here was Woolworth's if I'm not mistaken?

 

[Avenuer]

What was the name of that brick building to the far right?

Not sure, but Commerce replaced it.

 

[Oliver_William]

The building in yellow here was Woolworth's if I'm not mistaken?

Yes it was the old Woolworths. Instead of an escalator between floors it had a long moving sidewalk. Similar to the one at Woolco at Londonderry.

 

[David A]

Yes it was the old Woolworths. Instead of an escalator between floors it had a long moving sidewalk. Similar to the one at Woolco at Londonderry.

I was in there a couple times or so before it closed. I miss the good variety of stores we used to have downtown, it was a nice mix of affordable ones like this and more upscale ones too.

At the time it was generally thought tearing down these smaller aging buildings was progress that would revitalize and improve downtown, but it doesn't seem to have worked out as planned. The towers that replaced them do have some retail, but it generally seems to be less and much more limited that what they replaced.

 

[IanO]

Any update on their plans (a previous iteration)?

 

[David A]

What was proposed looks really nice and would do wonders for this street which really needs it. So I hope this is still being considered and it goes ahead.

It would also do a lot to make this building more attractive to potential tenants. I don't think what is there now is very appealing, it is dated and bunker like.