Raise the Hammer

Steamwhistle! A toast, to the little victories.

Thanks Sean! I tested out the 416 for the first time and it was pretty tasty. I'm glad to see a move in the right direction.

I'm a fan of the Headstock - finally some hops!

The bottom few rows are still the same-old-same-old. With enough action maybe we can get the entire column converted to micros. I'd like to see some flying monkeys in there.

Great to see that they actually replied with some action. I'm pretty surprised.

Agreed on the lower rows. Strongbow and Keith's kind of stretch the OCB envelope.

Still, it's a start, and the segment should be a natural direction. A quarter of the stock in that LCBO seems be beer, and it's constantly being topped up, so presumably the customers gravitate to casual refreshments more so than spirits.

New Grist is another that's possibly CB but not so much O. Still -- who'd have predicted a selection of gluten-free beers at King & James?

As customers, the best way to ensure that the local shelf expands would be to empty it regularly. Would you drink more beer so you can drink better beer?

What would be ideal would be to do some dealing with the new grocery store - they'll have a loading dock, obviously, and an LCBO storefront near theirs (whether their internal or external entrance) would have obvious synergy. Plus it's not like there's a shortage of available storefronts in that part of the Jackson Square.

Here's an interesting candidate: 6,335 square feet, which is probably a workable size.

http://www.realpropertieslimited.com/files/jackson-square/Unit200.pdf

This is the building between the HPL and Copps, with frontage on York.

Maybe not great proximity to the Sally Ann across the street a ways, but sited between the Farmers Market and Oceans Fresh, it seems like the best option in the mall.

The next largest space Yale has on offer is the old Ardene space, which is 3,800 square feet.

Weird that they didn't move the Mill Street over instead of some of those.

Oh well, time to Drink for Progress!

I think they'd still want a location on the inside of the mall, as opposed to facing York, for accessibility reasons.

I'm sure there is space for them, it just might require moving some existing businesses and opening up long-abandoned spaces to make it happen.

I'm to understand Vranich is making a fairly large commercial space with his new development, and wanted to see if he could court an LCBO to the locaiton. If you pass by the building, I suspect his current pay lot at the corner of main and Bay is where I would assume he might be intending to put said development if it came to fruition.

I know I'm going to go there on the weekend and pickup some Neustadt and some 416.

If that is the case, then I sincerely hope Vranich buys him out. He probably won't though, which I think would be a sticking point for a new LCBO. Lets face it, the LCBO is pursuing the big box model (whether you like it or not) if Upper James is any indication, and that means free parking is a big factor.

Comment edited by -Hammer- on 2012-11-07 22:03:56

Wasn't there a fairly recent story about the owner of that lot planning to build something on it?

If it's the lot I'm talking about, that's an awfully small lot to build something on, and right next to a large newly developed highrise. I guess you could squeeze in a small condo development, but it would strike me as a tricky sell.

Comment edited by -Hammer- on 2012-11-07 23:35:49

Agree that there are lots of options but IMHO few spaces that satisfy the end goal of "a larger store with a proper street presence." For all its streetwall JS has limited functional access.

You could move the retailer just east of The Honest Lawyer, you could take over the Old Druxy's run just North of the Desjardins Credit Union, you could annex the clothing store, the Grand & Toy and the newly relocated Joseph's... or you could just renovate a large vacant space on York and improve the mall access.

It might be moot, really. The LCBO's comfort zone on new stores seems to be big box. My impression -- and I'd love to be wrong -- is that the more compact "urban format" stores tend to be sited in areas with high-density residential populations.

It always bugs me how so many Jackson stores have street frontage but don't present anything to the street. I guess the problem is that it means designing a store with no back room - the Grand & Toy's street entrance is super-awkward (do they even have one anymore), so I can kinda see why so many don't bother with it.

It just sucks waiting for the buses there and seeing nothing but a wall of shiny black windows. I wonder how much of this has to do with the commerceless commerce-place and the other big office-buildings leaving the block of King from James to Bay as kind of a street-retail dead-zone.

I'm just always surprised with the giant mob of student commuters waiting there that we don't see so much as a hot-dog stand.

I love the point about the pedestrian overpass - it's been there my whole life and I have no idea what it connects to. And the entrances to Hamilton Place/Convention Centre... I honestly can't remember how you get into those buildings, and I've seen concerts there.

I honestly don't mind the brutalist aesthetic from the 3rd-floor up... I'll take concrete over stucco any day. But they had some seriously funny ideas about street-level.

To me, the funniest example is the old Eaton's Centre parking tower, with no pedestrian access from level 1A to York. You have to take the stairs or go through car-only ramps to get to York street, which you just drove in from. Just plain bone-headed design.

... all the internal links within that article are toast.

For better locations, how about that corner space at the Lister Block? Or the former Shoppers Drug Mart on James north?