South York

Mitoodle Noodle.
McNally's.
Gone.

What's happening to the south York area of downtown?

According to a large real estate holder in that area, not much more than business as usual. He (who shall remain unnamed) thinks all is well, that it's simply the nature of poor business for empty retail spaces to sprout along a major downtown street. Of course he's going to say that, he has space to fill. He wants to make sure the rents remain high.

I think it's crap.

Take a walk down York, south of the tracks. Stand for a while and count all the foot traffic that appears. Give it about 10 minutes and you may run out of fingers.

Where's the "destination" for people in that area? McNally's was a great place, always filled, with a relaxing outdoor area (front and back). That was a destination.

What else in that area pulls people? What causes people to go there, instead of pass there?

When the condos were built a few years back, it was supposed to be the "re-birth" of that part of downtown, a rejuvenation of people with disposable income. So where are they? And why can't we seem to find retail and/or restaurant tenants that pull people? But if the best Irish-themed bar/restaurant in the Western Suburbs can't draw people, what will?

Do we need to re-think who our shoppers and customers are? Do we need to encourage business that target teens?

What do we need? Because what we don't need is another empty storefront.