This was scary?
https://goo.gl/maps/qohV4ziSqkN2
I regularly walked Doyle Street and went into the shops on the opposite side of the street. Went into the pool hall to check it out once, but found it was members-only, so turned around and left. Never went to Tom's Little Havana, but I've heard good things about it.
That side of the BMO building wasn't well laid-out for street level retail, and the Canada Trust bldg and the brick bldg on the corner weren't really built to be welcoming on that side of the block either... but I never found it to be scary... at all.
Went to the Fireside quite a bit when it was along Brunswick, and actually liked the ambiance there. The new location doesn't quite have the character of the old one.
All the above shortcomings could have been rectified in the new project while retaining the art deco elements of the original building if there had been some interest by the developer, but perhaps then the precast cladding for the rest of the structure would have clashed with the higher-quality Wallace sandstone on the old building...
Doesn't matter now... what's done is done.
Also, FWIW, the Doyle St. side of the renderings don't look like they will be much more pleasant to walk around, as the sidewalks look quite narrow and shaded, and there will be at least one driveway where you will have to watch for cars coming in or out. Maybe it'll be better in person, though.
http://www.westwoodgroup.ca/wp-conte...esentation.pdf