Continuing on the “dead mall” theme (see my earlier post on the deserted Cumberland Terrace), we’ll take a little look at another urban mall that just didn’t make it: the Aura Concourse Shopping Mall (alternately, The Shops at Aura).
The mall is located under the magnificent Aura tower on the corner of Yonge Street and Gerrard Street East. Standing at 80 storeys high, Aura is Canada’s tallest residential condominium and is a remarkable structure:
One would think that such an impressive building would yield a world-class shopping mall at its base, but that is not the case. Although IKEA, Marshalls and a couple of other stores on the upper-platform levels are doing fine, it’s another story below ground.
Prior to my visit, I’d never been down to these shops under Aura; I’d heard a lot about them but had never witnessed them first hand. When I visited, it was the middle of a busy Saturday afternoon on Yonge Street – you’d think the mall would be hopping, but…. not so much.
Let’s Take a Look…
Arrival
Prior to the below-ground mall opening, there were promises from the developers of extending the PATH up to College Park along with a new premier shopping mall and experience. None of that happened. Apparently, in the pre-planning days, the mall merchants were presented with an inflated picture, by the planning commission, of how active and successful the mall would become. Of course this is not the reality and I’ve read that the merchants are now suing the developers for false presentation.
The Food Court
BlogTO has described The Shops at Aura as “Toronto’s Worst Mall”. This is largely in reaction to the half-vacant retail space, limited offerings at the food court, and atmosphere (at present, only 3 of the 12 fast food units are occupied):
The Only Sign of Life…
Get Me Out of Here!
BlogTO describes my feelings to a T while I was in this mall: “the whole place feels like an anxiety-inducing maze in which the more turns you take, the further you get from an exit”. In the half-hour or so I walked around the mall I became increasingly depressed. This gave way to a feeling of claustrophobia, like I had to get out of the place; I felt very trapped down there:
I’m the last person who should be making fun of other people’s web design, but – COME ON Aura!! – their website is pure embarrassment! It looks like something a 4th grade html class might have come up with on a bad day. The site is ugly as sin, full of useless information, and most links take the viewer to the dreaded “404 Not Found” page.
Wrapping Up
So much is wrong with this mall, I don’t know where to start. There’s absolutely no street level indication that these shops exist, and without a PATH connection, people have no reason to make a detour into the Shops at Aura. There’s just not much demand these days for 30 variety shops selling cheap phone cases and snacks.
We’ll see what the future holds for this space…
Pretty depressing. These poor people really gov stiffed
Oh, my God. I still remember the first time I went down there, and was so shocked. So much is wrong with this place and it really cannot be fixed. the street level access from Gerrard looks like a fire exit, the connection into College Park could not be more convoluted. The interior layout is anxiety provoking. It is just so weird. I always imagine that if there is an economic apocalypse or general mayhem, that this is where you would end up going to buy a liver transplant from someone who is either Emirati or Azerbaijani. You know, in the darker corners.