Shops at Don Mills is an innovative large-scale mixed-use redevelopment, centrally located in a modern post-war neighbourhood. Bounded by a curving ring road lined with low and mid-rise buildings, the project provides a lively, pedestrian-biased urban setting for a variety of uses including 500,000 square feet of retail shops, restaurants, offices, and services. The project is attracting attention for its accessible approach to suburban infill and its novel solu- tion to modern retail. Public spaces are infused with experiences such as festivals and public events, as well as more intimate leisure, hospitality and shopping experiences not seen typi- cally in the suburbs. Streets are pedestrian-scaled and offer on-street parking and generous landscaped sidewalks shaded by canopies. Vehicle parking includes a 1,000 car parking struc- tured lined with retail at grade and 1,500 on-street spaces. The project was the recipient of the Gold Award for Urban Design at the Design Exchange Awards 09.
Shops at Don Mills
DEVELOPER
The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited
ARCHITECT
Design: Rudy Adlaf for The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Ltd in collaboration with Giannone Petricone Associates Inc. Architects and pellow + associates architects inc., Architect: pellow + associates inc. architects
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
Quinn Design Associates Inc.
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
EllisDon Corporation
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Comments
they should have taken a look at Pittsburgh's South Side Works for this one...
ok, but it looks like no one lives upstairs... which makes me think of two things, 'can anyone live upstairs?' and, 'creepy, just like the wonderland gift shops'. i sure hope they actually can live up there, otherwise this place will seem artificial and wasteful (not to mention possibly dangerous). i sure hope that the designer's idea of 'mixed-use' isn't plopping a glass condo beside all of this garbage. if so they totally fail.
Tries to but does not rise above the feel of an American outlet mall maze.
Not winter pedestrian friendly. Needs covered walkways - but that would box it in more.
I wish I liked it more but I don't.
Can a mall really be turned into a town square? Does a big city really need a town square? I agree with stephen.job's comment. This project seems disingenuous.
all big cities have urban squares _ please don't make me list them. who is writing these things?
It's hardly a new concept! Developers have tried formal outdoor shopping malls since the middle of the twentieth century. Cloverdale Mall in Etobicoke was one such example which was eventually converted into an indoor mall.
Our climate doesn't hold back outdoor shopping areas. Our urban arterials like Yonge, Queen, and Bloor are lined with retail and we love these streets. The reason why this development is questionable is because it fails at achieving the merits of our outdoor shopping areas like the urban beauty of multi-storey streetscapes with architectural diversity as well as the density. It seems to aim for the outdoor shopping experience of Bloor, but feels like a cheap substitute.
Silly idea in this climate - just another strip mall
A worthwhile urban concept, but mediocre design and probably the wrong place and climate for it. Indoor shopping malls work in Toronto because of our weather; let's just make sure that our malls are well designed, nice to shop in, and integrated into the city (The Eaton Centre is actually pretty good in all those respects). Overall, this project is somewhat disingenuous. It is a shopping mall crammed into a faux-market. A good idea with a poor outcome.
Agreed. It had potential and failed. Needed to incorporate mixed use spaces and possibly a few creative glass skywalks to connect the buildings together to be climate appropriate.
"glass skywalks"?? are you kidding me - the whole idea about being urban it to have people on the streets! finally a developer with the guts to design a "mall" that trys to be more, to set up a the frame work to plug back into the city. The eaton center is a good example of a great indoor space but its taken over 20 years for yonge street to recover!