Massive new Target store coming to downtown Toronto

Target has announced plans to build a massive new anchor store in downtown Toronto. Part of the sweeping development at the foot of York Street known as Harbour Plaza, the retail outlet is slated to occupy 145,000 square feet, a significantly larger presence than the company's "City" branded stores in the US, which are at least somewhat scaled to the urban milieu in which they're located. Not so here. On the contrary, this will be one of the biggest Target locations in Canada.

That's good news if you live in one of the many condos south of Front Street, but it also raises some concerns about how the area is being developed. Even as the neighbourhood we've mostly agreed to call South Core has seen a rise in amenities over the last couple of years, the retail presence still lags well behind the residential boom. This, no doubt, is why the location is so attractive to the company. Still, a bit of diversity might not be a bad thing.

Along with Target, Harbour Plaza will feature an additional 50,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, a number that pales in comparison to what's allotted for the superstore. On the bright side, the presence of the retail complex will extend the PATH southward when it opens in late 2016. That should increase the connectedness of the condo-heavy area south of Front and send a hell of a lot of people through Target.

What do you think? Will this be a welcome addition to South Core?

Photo by jp1958 in the blogTO Flickr pool