The Royal | 114.9m | 34s | Embassy Bosa | Abugov Kaspar

General rating for this project

  • Great

    Votes: 23 33.8%

  • Very Good

    Votes: 33 48.5%

  • Good

    Votes: 9 13.2%

  • So So

    Votes: 3 4.4%

  • Not Very Good

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Terrible

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    68
The Canadian tire store is the major story IMO. The Urban Fare is good too, but the Beltline really needs an all purpose hardware type of store. This will be very convenient for residents around that area. Is it possible we are seeing the formation of what could end up as the Beltline's own shopping district? You've got Best Buy right around the corner, and London Drugs across the street.
 
Big box does have a place in the Beltline. I hope that shopping in the Beltline doesn't become synonymous with big box retail. The Royal is a fine project as much as I would have preferred the residential in midrise blocks above the retail than a tower on podium setup. I'm just a little bewildered how excited people are getting about it.

Edit

I can't really think of a hardware store right in the Beltline.
 
maestro said:
Big box does have a place in the Beltline. I hope that shopping in the Beltline doesn't become synonymous with big box retail. The Royal is a fine project as much as I would have preferred the residential in midrise blocks above the retail than a tower on podium setup. I'm just a little bewildered how excited people are getting about it.
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The Beltline has a long way to go before it's synonymous with big box stores. Getting a few big box stores in an area that is already connected to a strip of eclectic individual stores and restaurants is the perfect mix IMO.
 
Your previous post suggested otherwise by singled out the big box as the "anchors" of this burgeoning shopping district. There's no going back once you make big box a destination over service level retail like drycleaners.
 
maestro said:
Your previous post suggested otherwise by singled out the big box as the "anchors" of this burgeoning shopping district. There's no going back once you make big box a destination over service level retail like drycleaners.
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I think you are treating all big-box the same. It's not an either/or decisions, you can have both. Specifically you can have both because the local pedestrian-oriented population is high enough and dense enough that it supports small service level retailers (dry cleaners, cafes, restaurants) and large big format stores (Canadian Tire, full service grocery etc.) The Westhills and the Crowfoots of the world don't have that luxury so become all big box, with neighbourhood/personal service scaled retail in a strip mall a few kilometres away.
 
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Even if the Beltline gets big box retail, it's not anywhere near the scale of what you might find in the suburbs. Urban format 'big box' retail is perfectly fine in the Beltline IMO, provided it's not ground level (other than grocery). The Best Buy on 17th is very small for a Best Buy and is on the 2nd floor of the building - I don't think it influences the walkability of 17th at all.
 
maestro said:
Your previous post suggested otherwise by singled out the big box as the "anchors" of this burgeoning shopping district. There's no going back once you make big box a destination over service level retail like drycleaners.
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I should clarify, I didn't mean so much a destination for the rest of the city, I meant for residents in the Beltline. An area in the Beltline for Beltline residents to go and have all if not most of their shopping needs covered. It was in response to a post by @CBBarnett .
 
I'll use that Canadian Tire quite often, much better than driving to the one on Richmond Road. I'm fine with a couple urban format big box stores (I use the Best Buy and London Drugs regurlarly), but we need to keep some of the smaller boutique retailers open as well.
 
In fact, as a car-free student living right at a C-Train Station, I will probably tend to use this Canadian Tire more than any other hardware store in town once it is built, as it's probably the most easily accessible for me. The Home Depot on 16th is also good, it's where I go now, and it's close to Lions Park Station. But I might just use the Canadian Tire more cause of the urban treat and exercise I'll get just by going there every time :p :)
 
Always_Biking said:
I should clarify, I didn't mean so much a destination for the rest of the city, I meant for residents in the Beltline. An area in the Beltline for Beltline residents to go and have all if not most of their shopping needs covered. It was in response to a post by @CBBarnett .
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This An area in the Beltline for Beltline residents to go and have all if not most of their shopping needs covered. is exactly what is worrisome. It's no longer supportive retail. It's there to take over. I'm not opposed to big box retail in urban setting. It's just a precarious relationship for the existing smaller retail.

Restaurants and cafe are a different type of retail. I'm not referring to those.
 
I'm not worried about big boxes taking over the Beltline, after the CT goes in I can't see any other big box retailers coming into play any time soon, and the two that will be there (Best Buy, and CT) don't really compete with the other shops and the the Beltline. I think it's great, as long as there aren't too many more, but like I said, I doubt there will be more after CT.
 
UrbanWarrior said:
It's pretty remarkable, the transformation the Beltline has seen over the last 10 years. This one is going to be the jewel in the crown. Awesome urban-format retail and a beautiful tower.
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Agreed on all points. The area has certainly changed significantly.
 
AJX said:
I'm not worried about big boxes taking over the Beltline, after the CT goes in I can't see any other big box retailers coming into play any time soon, and the two that will be there (Best Buy, and CT) don't really compete with the other shops and the the Beltline. I think it's great, as long as there aren't too many more, but like I said, I doubt there will be more after CT.
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In my experience, it's naive to say there won't be anymore after CT. This isn't just exclusive to big box. It includes small box too. This is happening or has already happened everywhere. Some American downtowns are now entirely controlled by chain stores. that repeat themselves every few blocks.

We're just repeating ourselves now. We both believe the same thing that there is a place for big box in the city too. We just have a different opinion on how precarious big box is to established retail.
 
No question the potential is there for more big or small box retailers, but I do agree with @Always_Biking that it will be a while yet. On the flipside, the Beltline is growing st a pace better than anybody expected, maybe he'll be faster than we think.
 
I highly doubt big box will displace specialty shops. Now, quasi chain franchises for lets say pet goods, out competing an old school pet store that has had little investment in 30 years? Yeah for sure.

The cheese shop failed years before urban faire is destined to join the fray.

Is that a problem though?
 
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