3Liberty Nights - Allied Properties REIT

10/10/06
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Volume 27
Fall 2006
allied_Fall_06
Liberty Village • King West • King West Central • Entertainment District • St. Lawrence Market Area • Queen Richmond East • College St.
2
Critical Mass takes
up on Adelaide West
4
Richmond
Street East
Renos
5
Red Bull makes a
splash in Vancouver
Plus: Sobeys on College, Second
Cup on King West, Totum’s Boxing
Workout, WHAT’S ON East & West,
and Ye Olde King Street Pics
3
Liberty Nights
New Maro lounge
hangs its velvet ropes
in Liberty Village
King West Centtral
King West
Centtral
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Digital Marketing Firm
Critical Mass Takes Adelaide Offices
C
ritical Mass understands the
role of a company Web site
as being more than just an
electronic brochure. It is this understanding that has helped it grow steadily
from its roots as a Calgary-based promotional CD-ROM developer in 1995,
to one of the Web design industry's
leading agencies. And success appears
to have also grown its Toronto presence
as it opens its new office in the penthouse at 425 Adelaide Street West.
With digital marketing moving
well into the Web 2.0 paradigm (the
reinterpretation of the Web’s role
following the dot-com bubble),
“platforms” rather than applications
rule the information highway (think
Netscape vs. Google).
Critical Mass has long adhered to
the notion of a Web site as a platform
rather than just another avenue of
contact, and as such has successfully
navigated the dot-com bust retaining
blue-chip clients like Mercedes-Benz
USA and Hyatt Hotels by creating sites
that “deepen customer relationships”
for these clients.
CEO Dianne Wilkins, in a 2005
Marketing Magazine article explained
that the business “has only a very
small element of e-commerce. We see
ourselves as a marketing company
that specializes in e-communication,
relationship building and branding.”
Big bold sites with
catchy graphics weren’t
what most marketers were
after, the company found.
Viewing the Web site as
a platform where users can
have an experience is a
notion that can be tied
directly to a client’s bottom
line performance. And it’s
an approach that, for
Critical Mass, has resulted
a number of longstanding
relationships with blue
chip companies.
With a proven background in the areas of
customer experience
management and customer
relationship development,
it has helped high profile
organizations like Dell,
Pampers and NASA forge
deep relationships with their customers.
Profitable and stable, Critical Mass
has been recognized with numerous
prestigious awards including the
Forrester Wave in 2005; Forrester
Research Web Design Agency Shootout
in 2004; eHealthcare Leadership
Awards in 2005; Webby Awards, 2005
(Best Automotive site - Mercedes-Benz
USA), and; Internet Retailer, 2005 (Best
of the Web, Dell.com).
www.criticalmass.com
425 Adelaide Street West
COMPANY SNAPSHOT
What They Do:
Critical Mass is a Calgary-based digital
marketing firm that develops web sites
and web-based products for some of the
world’s leading companies.
Employees: 400+
Offices in:
Calgary, Chicago, Toronto, New York,
Austin, Atlanta, Las Vegas
Ownership:
52% owned by Omnicom Group Inc
(NYSE: OMC), 48% employee-owned
Featured Clients:
Critical Mass clients
use Web sites as viable
marketing channels.
Community Chronicle • Fall 2006
• Albertsons, Inc.
• Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
• Dell Inc.
• The Procter & Gamble Company
• AT&T Wireless Services, Inc.
• National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA)
• Hyatt Corporation
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Liberty Nights
Warehouse space turns Euro-Asian-Inspired lounge at 135 Liberty
L
ike any spot worth investigating,
Maro’s inauspicious exterior
is a bit misleading. But the
velvet ropes at the tall glass doors
tell you you’re at the right place if
you’re looking for the Brant Group’s
latest project, a Pan-Asia-meetscontemporary-Europe warehouse
space on the ground floor and lower
level of 135 Liberty Street.
“We envisioned a very slick
interior, but not cold,” says
co-designer Marc Kyriacou who
has worked on the original
Brant House and West as well as
the redesign of West.
The main level houses a 16,000
square-foot dining area with an
open concept kitchen at the far end
of the room (you can see much of
the culinary activity from
the main space). There’s
also a step-up lounge area
on the north side – with
a large projection screen
that can be put into action
at corporate events –
and a couple of sectional
couch clusters staged
strategically on opposite
sides of the room near
the entrances.
The black “lacquer”
bar fronts, black bamboo
flooring and dark red
columns of the main
space give it a strong
Asian influence that is
tempered by the use of
contemporary European-
style furnishings like the grey settees
that make up most of the seating
in the lounge area.
Three Indian-granite-topped bars
are equipped to handle the space’s
900-capacity, and bar backs are
framed in dark Blackwood with
Chinese lanterns flanking each end.
For revelers seeking privacy,
Kyriacou and co-founder John
Tsoumaris have put a lot of thought
and design into a lower level VIP
room that isn’t available to the
public. Rather, it’s slated for private,
celeb-heavy functions.
Some of the design elements
found downstairs include Thai-type
ceiling panels and damask wallpaper.
Designer Antonio S. Tadrissi,
who designed Hammam Spa, was
brought in solely to design and
execute a state-of-the-art staircase.
The VIP lounge also features floorto-ceiling banquettes along with
marble fireplaces.
And for those seeking sustenance,
Kyriacou and Tsoumaris have further
enhanced the dining experience
with a menu executed by Chef
David Adjey.
Hammam’s Antonio Tadrissi
designed the state-of-the-art
staircase.
Contemporary Euro-style settees in the raised lounge.
An Indian granite
countertop is set
to serve a quick
midday meal.
Community Chronicle • Fall 2006
Liberty Liberty
Village
Village
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Queen Richmond East
Queen Richmond
East
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ANATOMY OF A RENO:
Queen-Richmond Centre’s Little Sister
A
solid structure in need of a
facelift, 103 Richmond Street
East has undergone a series
of strategic renovations. Since Allied
Properties REIT brought this turn-ofthe-last-century dry goods warehouse
into its portfolio, it has worked to
link the building aesthetically to neighbouring Queen-Richmond Centre.
The exterior brick on the north
side was painted red and new windows,
identical in both colour and design
to the ones across the street, were two
A View from Here: The operable
“six-over-six” double-hung
windows are replicas of the
style typical 200 years ago.
Walk of Ages: Putting in new
carpet always cleans up a
space, but putting in good
carpet that will retain its shape
and colour for the next ten
years is what allows a space
to stay that way. And that’s
what crews did here, laying
high grade commercial carpet
(like that used in the TD
Centre) and bordering it with
durable Italian porcelain tiles.
Community Chronicle • Fall 2006
of the outdoor initiatives designed
to help these two buildings connect
visually, but there are also a number
of interior renovations.
“We’re using high-end materials
on all the wear surfaces,” says Andrew
Clarke of Market Block, the firm
conducting the work. “That keeps
the space looking contemporary and
fresh.”
Track lighting will highlight the
exposed brick which was formerly
an exterior wall (103 was originally
three separate buildings), giving the
space an art gallery feel, while ribbedglass fixtures that are replicas of factory
fixtures used at the turn-of-the-last
century will light the centre of the
hallway and complement the building’s
historic character.
Less sexy things like laying a new
roof, putting in proper exit signage and
tiling the bathrooms have been part
of the program to update this address,
but the most obvious changes will be
seen on the ground floor.
Topping it Off: Much-needed
attention has been paid to
important infrastructure
components. For example, the
roof was recently replaced after
some 25 years of neglect.
Elevating Experience: Tenants
may recall the washroom feel of
the tiny cab's mosaic tile interior.
Crews removed three layers of
tiles and replaced these with
mirrors and scuff-resistant
Mayatek fabric.
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Red Bull “Flight”
Event Splashes Down
in Vancouver
INCOMING
New food service tenants
on King and College
Sobeys Soon ‘Ready-to-Serve’
on College
Second place winners, Team Pirates of False Creek, abandon ship.
Spring of 2007 will see a Sobeys opening
at 555 College Street. The Nova Scotiabased grocery retailer, which owns or
franchises more than 1,300 stores in all
10 provinces under retail banners that
include IGA extra, IGA, Foodland and
Price Chopper, builds stores as large
as 51,000 square feet and as small as
6,000 square feet.
The College Street location will likely
fall in the middle range and is expected
to offer all the services of a large Sobeys
including ready-to-eat meals from the
deli counter, an onsite bakery and
market-fresh fruits and vegetables.
www.sobeys.com
Team Back to the Flugtag prepares for impact.
E
ver wonder what you could get for flying a homemade
machine off the end of a pier? How does $7,500 or a set
of pilot’s lessons sound? That’s what teams were competing
for this August at Vancouver’s False Creek when Red Bull,
whose Canadian headquarters are in King West Central,
recently brought Flugtag to Canada.
A Flugtag (German for flight day) is an event in which
competitors attempt to fly in homemade contraptions. Usually
launched from a pier, the machines rarely fly at all. Still, the
first-place winner in Vancouver, team Big Shooter, bested the
existing North American flight record by soaring 86 feet before
splash down.
While the idea is to fly as far as you can, most competitors
enter for the entertainment value. In Vancouver, contraptions
included a lobster from Moncton, Poutine from Montreal,
a Winnipeg jet and a Zamboni from Vancouver. An avid
sponsor of extreme sports and varied cultural events, Red Bull
builds it brand recognition by working with unconventional
entertainment activities.
www.redbull.com
®
Wired Second Cup Coming
to King Street West
905 King Street West tenants will be
able to pick up a Second Cup coffee in
November as one of Canada’s largest
specialty coffee retailer and café franchisor
(with more than 360 locations nationally)
plans to opens its doors. This site is also
an Internet hotspot, offering wireless
Internet access so that customers can
surf the Web and check e-mail over a
hot cup of java.
www.secondcup.com
Community Chronicle • Fall 2006
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est est
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West Central
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TOTUM TIPS
Thinking Outside the ‘Box’
Long after Stallone drank raw eggs and spent his early mornings running up stairs to
portray comeback boxing champion Rocky Balboa, the notion of punishing workouts remains tied
to this tough-guy sport. Great aerobic and anaerobic workouts aside, what about the
fighting part? “You don’t have to get popped to get the exercise benefits of boxing,” assures Garfield
Watson, Totum Life Science’s certified boxing coach. In fact, the trainees in his Boxing Boot
Camp are executives, stay-at-home moms and just about anyone looking for a total body workout, he
explains. Curious about what some of these exercises entail? Here are a couple to consider...
Squat with left and
right hooks
1. Standing with feet shoulder-width
apart, legs bent at 90˚ and elbows and
arms in.
2. & 3. Rise till your knees are slightly
bent and throw a left, then right hook.
1
2
3
Great for working your ’love handles’
and shoulders, Watson says you should
start this exercise with your chest out,
back straight. “Like you’re sitting in
a chair,” he says, adding you should
do two sets of 20.
Lunge with punches
1. Start with your left foot forward, fists and elbows in
and drop your right knee down so that your bent left
knee doesn’t go past the tip of your left shoe. Your back
leg should form an L.
2. Now come up partway, straightening your back leg
and twisting your torso slightly to throw a right, then a
left punch. Do two sets of 20, switch legs and repeat.
1
Community Chronicle • Fall 2006
2
www.totum.ca
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WHAT’S ON
ONGOING EVENTS
Events at East and West Downtown Locations
NOVEMBER 2
Nicholas Metivier Gallery is hosting
an opening reception for an exhibition
of new paintings by Ric Evans (from
6 to 8 p.m.). The Gallery will also be
exhibiting at the Toronto International
Art Fair on November 9th to the 13th at
the Metro Toronto Convention Centre
(Booth 446). The Nicholas Metivier
Gallery is at 451 King Street West.
www.metiviergallery.com
NOVEMBER 9
The Calphalon Culinary Center presents
its 2nd Annual Rising Chef Challenge,
an evening of exquisite cuisine prepared
by three of Toronto’s rising chefs. Each
chef competes to please palates and wow
senses with specific ingredients. Guests
are both diner and judge at this event that
is unique to the Centre. The competing
Sous Chefs, hailing from Tundra,
Mildred Pierce and Flow restaurants,
will help diners navigate a three-course
meal with wines paired by Vincor
International. Tickets are $135/person.
The Calphalon Culinary Center is at
425 King Street West.
www.calphalonculinarycenter.com
NOVEMBER 30
O’Connor Gallery is presenting a show
by visual artist Jeff Szuc who spent an
industrious year completing a 5”x7”
painting every week. “Seeing the passage
of a year through 52 rather fantastic
paintings makes for an incredible show,”
says Dennis O’Connor. The show opens
on November 30th with all 52 paintings
on display. The O’Connor Gallery is
at 145 Berkeley St. Suite 100.
www.oconnorgallery.com
Nicholas Hoare’s Books and
Brunch Series: One Sunday
morning a month, this St. Lawrence
market area bookstore brings four
authors to the Vanity Fair Ballroom
at the King Edward Hotel to discuss
their respective works. Past speakers
have included John Keegan, Michael
Redhill and Margaret Atwood.
Space is limited and events sell out
fast, so call early to find out who’s
expected this Fall. Nicholas Hoare
Books is at 45 Front Street East,
(416) 777-2665.
Totum Lifescience Running
Group: Every Wednesday at
6:30 p.m. Totum takes runners at
all levels of experience out for a
run. Interested in the running boot
camp? A dedicated few meet at
Totum on Tuesdays and Thursdays
at 6 a.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. for
training that’s a little more intense.
Free for club members, $10 for
non-members. Totum is at
445 King Street West.
www.totum.ca
To list an event, please send details to [email protected]
Community Chronicle • Fall 2006
EastW
andest
West
East and
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Picturing the Past and Present
King Street Rails Form City’s Third Public Transit Line
City of Toronto Archives (TTC
Fonds, series 71, item 481
2)
TTC repairs on
King Street
West in 1927.
King Street West,
September 2006
T
Published four times a year by:
Allied Properties REIT
602 King Street West, Main floor
Toronto, ON M5V 1M6
Editor:
Yvan Marston
[email protected]
he rails in the photo above are in the midst of a 1927
repair. Six years earlier, the Ontario Parliament passed
an Act that formed the Toronto Transit Commission
(making it a corporation separate from the city). In doing so,
the TTC assumed responsibility for the various rails around
the city that, since 1849, had been operated privately.
The King Street line, which ran from Bathurst to the
Don River, was the third line built and operated by the Toronto
Railway Company (Yonge Street was the first and Queen Street
the second). The King service began as horse-operated transit
in 1874 and was electrified on September 5th, 1892.
To the right of the photo is the Ontario Cabinet and
Furniture Works at 468 King Street West, which was built in
1910. And further in the background is 500-522 King Street
West, the former Gurney Stove Factory building which today
houses MINI Downtown, Cossette Communications Group
and the Acton Leather Co.
Design/Layout:
Gravity Design Inc.
[email protected]
Community Chronicle • Fall 2006
www.alliedpropertiesreit.com