Welcome to Yonge and St. Clair. More than an intersection. It’s 4 corners and a vision. It’s a vibrant and a storied neighbourhood and it’s only getting better.
One of Toronto’s most important intersections has seen some remarkable transformation in recent years and will continue to do so with the addition of new retailers, restaurants and mixed-use developments. When completed in several years, the corner of Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue will be almost unrecognizable. Its desirability makes sense, exceptional connectivity as a transit crossroads and is adjacent to some of Canada’s wealthiest neighbourhoods.
The neighbourhood was quite vibrant in the 1970’s and 1980’s when it was home to theatres, top restaurants, and several upscale retailers that might surprise those not familiar with the area’s history.
Dapper and traditional Dack’s shoes once occupied the northwest corner of the intersection and a few doors north of that, multi-brand women’s luxury retailer Ira Berg operated a 9,000 square foot store at 1510 Yonge Street at the corner of Delisle Street (now occupied by New Balance Shoes). Ira Berg opened Canada’s first location for Paris-based luxury brand Celine in 1972 at 1506 Yonge Street (now occupied by a Subway restaurant), and women from nearby would arrive by car (and sometimes by limousine) to patronize area businesses.
The Delisle Court retail complex, across Delisle Avenue from Ira Berg, housed locations for brands such as Bally of Switzerland shoes, Le Chateau, and later on, a Bruno’s grocery store which closed in March of 2016.
Yonge and St. Clair is exceptional and almost unmatched in Toronto in terms of proximity to wealthy residential neighbourhoods. Forest Hill is adjacent and affluent South Hill, Moore Park and Rosedale are nearby. The Yonge Street subway line includes a stop at St. Clair Avenue, and an east-west dedicated streetcar line provides further transit access. And while the intersection is known for its towers, buildings aren’t nearly as tall as at other intersections in the area.
Great Gulf and Terracap Investments Inc. have assembled five properties located on the east side of Yonge Street between St. Clair Avenue and Pleasant Boulevard to develop a stunning 46 storey mixed-use tower with retail opportunity at the base.
[su_slider source=”media: 10541,10540″ width=”860″ height=”740″]
[su_gmap address=”1421 Yonge Street, Toronto”]
The objective of this designation is allow residents to live, work and shop in the same area and to reduce the dependency on automobiles. It will be modern and upscale. Designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects, the luxury residential portion of the tower will feature more than 220 residences averaging more than 1,000 square feet
The added residents to the area will create increased demand for retail and other services as Yonge and St. Clair matures with new development and public realm improvements.
It’s one of several developments that are proposed in the area, and the added residents will create an increased demand for retail and other services as Yonge and St. Clair matures matures. This transformation will make this neighbourhood almost unrecognizable.
[su_button url=”https://www.dianavictoriaquinn.com/property/yonge-st-clair-by-great-gulf/” target=”blank” background=”#fa8f8d” size=”5″ desc=”Receive project updates, insider pricing and plans.”]Register Today[/su_button]
At the northwest corner of the intersection, Slate is overhauling an existing mixed-use building that will include two levels of retail anchored by a new Buca restaurant at its corner.
The southeast corner of the intersection will also see some significant modifications. Scotiabank will remain the anchor tenant on the corner of a renovated building that will see a reconfigured ground floor and retail concourse. Included will be a new retail entrance off of Yonge Street that will draw shoppers and commuters into the building (a subway station is connected underground) with the podium to be re-glazed in a dramatic transformation. New retail will be created on the ground level as well as on the concourse level, offering exceptional visibility to those accessing the subway.
Heather Rovet, Real Estate Broker with ReaLawState Brokerage Ltd. grew up in this neighbourhood and went to school in the area. “My parents are still in the area as well. I moved back here about a year and half ago, in a condominium with an amazing city skyline view. So in total have lived here for over twenty years”.
These four corners certainly do have a very bright future. Not only have developers begun their work, even bigger things are coming. In 2018, the local business community came together to form the Yonge + St. Clair BIA as a non-profit organization to drive community initiatives, plans streetscape and economic development improvements, and execute local programs and events.
The Yonge + St. Clair BIA has been developing a Streetscape Master Plan to reimagine the streetscape and determine investments in the public realm over the next 5-10 years. Learn more about these changes here and track its progress.
The revival of Yonge and St. Clair is a welcome addition to the city. Given the strong demographics in the immediate area, as well as the exceptional connectivity as a transit crossroads, the intersection is likely to become, again, one of the most desirable in the city to work, live and play.
