By Craig Patterson

The retail podium of the mixed-use 110 Bloor Street West building in Toronto will be seeing substantial changes that will include an impressively updated physical appearance as well as opportunities for new tenants. The retail podium spans more than 200 feet along Toronto’s prestigious ‘Mink Mile’ as well as frontage facing onto Cumberland Street and Village of Yorkville Park.

Renderings of the renovated commercial podium at 110 Bloor show a dynamic facade with dark metal finishes and a gold patterned public art piece directly above the updated retail facades. The podium will act as a centerpiece to the luxury stretch of Bloor Street West. Arlin Markowitz of CBRE explained that 110 Bloor is ‘centre ice’ for the area which has recently added several prominent luxury brands. To the west of 110 Bloor are storefronts for Gucci, St. John, Burberry, Tiffany & Co. and Louis Vuitton. To the east of 110 Bloor are flagship storefronts for Zegna and Hermes. Across the street are flagship locations for brands such as Prada, Dior, MCM and others.

Plans to redevelop the podium at 110 Bloor were put into place last year. That was made possible in part with the exit of three retailers on the western portion of the Bloor street side of the building, allowing for new tenant opportunities within four new retail spaces. That includes ‘Unit 1’ spanning 1,614 square feet, ‘Unit 2’ spanning 966 square feet, ‘Unit 3’ at 1,010 square feet, and ‘Unit 4’ with two levels including a street-facing 2,466 square foot space as well as an optional 2,346 square foot basement level. Unit 2 has already been leased to an international luxury brand according to Mr. Markowitz. Lease terms are between five and 10 years, according to marketing materials provided to Retail Insider by CBRE.

*110 Bloor St. W. in Toronto at 6:30pm on Tuesday, September 15 2020. Photo: Craig Patterson*

The existing Winners flagship store at 110 Bloor Street West will remain operational. Plans show a renovated entrance to Winners which is more upscale and matches the design aesthetic of the new Bloor Street facades as a whole.

The eastern portion of the Bloor Street frontage at 110 Bloor currently houses Brooks Brothers and J. Crew stores. Both companies recently filed for bankruptcy protection and their future on Bloor Street is uncertain. If both retailers were to exit the 110 Bloor complex, plans are in place to replace them. The street level of Brooks Brothers spans about 4,570 square feet according to plans, while the J. Crew space is 7,507 square feet. The spaces may be combined to form one larger unit with triple-height facades according to marketing materials. Furthermore, an additional 13,000 square feet could be available on the basement level of the building to connect with street level retail.

The north facing side of 110 Bloor overlooks the Village of Yorkville Park and Cumberland Street. Renderings showcase the opportunity to create a basement level retail space that could house an urban-format grocery store. A lower level space spanning 13,295 square feet could be accessed from street level via a ground level space spanning 1,920 square feet according to lease plans indicating new tenant possibilities.

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Potential grocery anchor at 110 Bloor St. W.

ProWinko Canada Inc. owns the 110 Bloor Street podium. CBRE and Cushman & Wakefield are co-listing the 110 Bloor Street West retail spaces. That includes Arlin Markowitz of brokerage CBRE as well as Philip Traikos and Carmen Siegel of brokerage Cushman & Wakefield.

The 110 Bloor mixed-use building was built in 1980. When it was built, Bloor Street was beginning to find its place as a luxury destination for shoppers as well as residents. The 18 storey 110 Bloor building includes more than 150 condominium units above the retail podium. All residential units feature grand double doors into suites leading into expansive condominium apartments which often sell quickly when they come to market. The surrounding area bounded by Avenue Road to the west, Bellair Street to the east, Yorkville Avenue to the North and Charles Street to the south boasts the highest density of ultra high net worth households in Toronto if not all of Canada.

From its inception, 110 Bloor Street West has been home to luxury brand stores. In the 1980s, brands such as Celine and Byblos had stores in the commercial podium, followed by the 1990s which saw Louis Vuitton and Plaza Escada move in with prominent storefronts. Given the location at the heart of the Mink Mile, luxury retail will continue to be a focus for the leasing in the building.

Toronto’s Bloor-Yorkville continues to transform as new retailers and other businesses move into the area. Nearby Yorkville Avenue has added several luxury retailers since 2017 including Christian Louboutin, Chanel, Versace, Brunello Cucinelli and Off-White among others. ProWinko Canada is also leasing 5,280 square feet of space at 94 Cumberland Street, located at the corner of Bellair Street between Bloor Street and Yorkville Avenue. The 94 Cumberland Street space features more than 150 feet of frontage along Cumberland and Bellair Streets as well as soaring 18 foot ceilings. The space could be occupied by one tenant or divided into as many as three units. CBRE’s Arlin Markowitz is listing the space as well.

*Above and below: New retail at 94 Cumberland Street*

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Now located in Toronto, Craig is a retail analyst and consultant at the Retail Council of Canada. He's also the Director of Applied Research at the University of Alberta School of Retailing in Edmonton. He has studied the Canadian retail landscape for the past 25 years and he holds Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws Degrees. He is also President & CEO of Vancouver-based Retail Insider Media Ltd. Email Craig: craig@retail-insider.com