 |
New Bloor Street Planter in its Fall Glory
following photos all by Eileen Reilly |
For my first post about design in Toronto let's discuss the new streetscape along Bloor Street extending slightly beyond Avenue Road to the west and beyond Yonge Street to the East. This wasn't before time. The road and sidewalks were pretty atrocious along this stretch for years. And this is where all of the designer shops are located in Toronto. The most chi-chi hotels and restaurants are also in the vicinity. It's a major destination for tourists and is a prime celebrity spotting location during the Toronto International Film Festival (although action may be shifting closer to the new Bell Lightbox but celebrities still have to shop, right?).
The city of Toronto began to replace the old water main system in 2007. One thing leads to another and it seems like other interests got involved including cellular companies, hydro etc. This has led to a much longer timeline for the revamp. The project, funded mostly by the
Bloor Street BIA, is over the $20 million budget.
 |
| busy laying the granite sidewalk |
 |
Harry Rosen's men's store ad outside poking fun at the renovations
|
However, it will look great. There are still some things to be done but I think it will really show its full glory come spring when the trees are planted and the flowerbeds are planted for the season. Uplights will really enhance the street with its new granite sidewalks (a little slippery at the moment). Already in the fall, some of the planters were full and look great.
No comments:
Post a Comment