Centre Mall -> The Centre on Barton

[DC83]

Originally Posted by block43

That stores attempt an "urban format" then block off the door to the street and ask everyone to use the autocentric entrance off the parking lot.

HAHAHA Only in Hamilton, my friend! (as far as I know).
There's a great urban Shopper's at Dufferin/Eglinton in Toronto that has it's main entrance right at that corner.
It looks great and fits into it's Eglinton West neighbourhood fantastically!
If only City officials here would enforce their "standards".

[Jon Dalton]

There are some good examples of street frontage like that here in Burlington, I'll try to get some pictures.

I expect the stores that do face the street will open on the street side but other than that it will be inward focused in the typical way.

I hope they don't have too big of a buffer zone of grass and trees like in this rendering (See? Nature is present!) but rather the buildings come right up to a sidewalk of generous proportions.

[matt602]

Originally Posted by DC83

HAHAHA Only in Hamilton, my friend! (as far as I know).
There's a great urban Shopper's at Dufferin/Eglinton in Toronto that has it's main entrance right at that corner.
It looks great and fits into it's Eglinton West neighbourhood fantastically!
If only City officials here would enforce their "standards".

Our shoppers at Main/Sherman has an entrance right in off the street as well. You actually have to walk around from the parking lot to get to it.

[DC83]

Originally Posted by matt602

Our shoppers at Main/Sherman has an entrance right in off the street as well. You actually have to walk around from the parking lot to get to it.

I remember when it used to be The Barn (I think)! And Big V was across Garfield in what is now a dollar store?
I had spent a lot of time there (even before the Shoppers Home Store was added) as a kid as my mom worked in the Pharmacy at Main/Sherman (now works in Burly). Everyone left "Big V" when shoppers took over and ruined BigV's small-town service.

[realcity]

I wish it was still a horse track.

RE: SHoppers Concession
The city 'flexed their muscle' and mandated an entrance way at the corner of Wentworth and Concession. Only the 'masterminds' never stipulated the entrance had to be a functioning entrace. Brilliant City

[realcity]

This could be better. There is a new retail format that is happening in the US, I think these developers are thinking that's what they're building, but it's half-assed.

The parking lots should have pedestrian boulevards linking the buildings and the build more than shown here. As well they are at least two floors. The US/new retail formats replicate the mini streets of Europe in some that I've seen. I bet the buildings facing the street have no windows, only the service door and dumpsters, partially obscured with faux nature landscaping that needs chemicals to keep the unnatural nature alive. This could be a lot better.

I object to the claim that this area's demographics have changed in 20 years. It's still the same working-class neighbourhood of the 80s. What's changed is the Power Centres have gutted the Centre Mall of A-List retailers. I agree something has to be done, the mall is flea market now, so is Mountain Mall. But if they built something the represented the next evolution in retail, they would easily attract A-Listers again.

I don't think that's a bank on the corner.... no drive thru is shown.

[SteelTown]

Originally Posted by markbarbera

here is a slightly larger version:

If you look hard enough you can see a dome like building in the middle that's the food court pavilion. The corner building is for TD.

[raisethehammer]

what a joke. I wonder how long it'll before we open the paper to read about some sucker who tried walking from store to store only to get killed by a car.

[Jon Dalton]

That plan view reveals alot. A few of the smaller stores partially cover up the vast parking area, which you will still have to walk through to get to the 4 major retailers at the back. It ought to look just like the new stuff in Burlington (Appleby and Dundas, to be specific.)

Originally Posted by realcity

The parking lots should have pedestrian boulevards linking the buildings and the build more than shown here. As well they are at least two floors. The US/new retail formats replicate the mini streets of Europe in some that I've seen.

I don't know. I find those faux-village layouts with park benches next to 'no loitering' signs even more disturbing.

[realcity]

So how do i get from Block H to Block C?..... by car or risk your life walking.

this computer board has better looking architecture

[realcity]

Creekside 1 million sq ft retail


Tacara
800,000 sq ft with mixed residential

[matt602]

Originally Posted by realcity

So how do i get from Block H to Block C?..... by car or risk your life walking.

this computer board has better looking architecture

It's not that bad. The Loblaws is located on the Northbridge, the Canadian tire is roughly under the PCI-Express slot and the Walmart is basically on the LGA775 CPU Socket.

The banks are all around that stuff and the food court is the Southbridge. It's about time Centre Mall moved over to the P35 chipset.

*wonders if anyone understands any of that*

[fastcarsfreedom]

Shoppers has done the same thing elsewhere--the 'fake' door is not unique to Hamilton. Multiple entrances to stores increase shrink--that's a fact of life. Retail hates shrink so the second doors disappear.

[Jon Dalton]

Originally Posted by realcity

this computer board has better looking architecture

That's the funniest thing I've ever seen on this board.

[markbarbera]

Originally Posted by fastcarsfreedom

Shoppers has done the same thing elsewhere--the 'fake' door is not unique to Hamilton. Multiple entrances to stores increase shrink--that's a fact of life. Retail hates shrink so the second doors disappear.

Blockading doors isn't exactly a wise loss-prevention measure, it is a safety concern should emergency evacuation be necessary. Shoppers has deep pockets and have invested significant funds in developing this new superstore format - and they didn't design something as basic as a multiple egress with loss prevention in mind? Who's their architect?!?

[raisethehammer]

Originally Posted by Jon Dalton

That's the funniest thing I've ever seen on this board.

I'm trying to decide if it's the funniest thing I've ever seen on here, or the saddest - cause it's true!

[realcity]

but Matt602's comment has to be 'geekist' thing I've ever read on here. Matt I don't want to know how you know that?

[raisethehammer]

haha...yea, he totally lost me. I'll trust him though. I'm clueless about stuff like that!

[Da Warrior]

Don't know if this belongs in here of not but didn't feel like making a new post for it.

But its official HBC The Bay Eastgate, will be closing to the public on March 21-23, and will officially close its doors on the 29th. So like many of you have stated before its all but written in stone that Sears will be moving in there, Summer/Fall of this year.

[fastcarsfreedom]

markbarbera--if you can design multiple egress that doesn't contribute to an increase in shrink, you'll be a wealthy man. Even an increased risk of shrink increases the insurance premiums retailers pay. People steal, it's a fact of life and a fact of business. Pharmacies are also at an increased risk of other forms of crime--armed robberies and break-ins, due to the nature of the drugs they stock--once again a reason a retailers such as Shoppers would limit it's points of ingress and egress.