Yonge + St. Clair is a community that takes pride in the sophisticated – exquisite food, contemporary art, and refined culture. While art and culture is constantly getting better in the neighbourhood, it’s important to appreciate the contemporary work that’s here, now. Last weekend, Yonge + St. Clair’s own Muse Gallery held their opening for Canadian Contemporary Artist Su Sheedy’s solo show “Quiet Out Loud.”

Su Sheedy was born and raised in Toronto and has lived in Kingston, Ontario since 1992. She began painting full time in 2001 and since then has marshalled her fascination with surface effects into a substantial art practice.

Sheedy has always had a great deal of interest in the preservation of the Canadian wetlands, which can be seen across all of her previous painting series titled Marsh, Pond, Bog, and Lichen. Her abstracts appear to be a lush blend of wildflowers, vines, grasses and reeds with patches of water or even snow. Su Sheedy’s works are anything but typical paintings – they have a frenetic energy that is calmed and restrained by her use of natural beeswax and tree resin. The translucence of the beeswax and her dynamic colour range engages the viewer like the 3D atmosphere of a backlit aquarium.

“I began the Pond series in 2009 as a homage to the wetlands near my home in Kingston, Ontario. My painting process is instinctual, spontaneous and quite physical. Rich layers of pigmented beeswax are gouged into, poured, and torched creating rowdy and random markings.”

Twenty years a registered massage therapist, Sheedy remains interested in cellular memory, sensory perception, and our visceral response to texture. Her works reside all across Canada and she has been Chief Hanger and Adjudicator in several Art Exhibitions.

‘Quiet Out Loud’ is open at the Muse Gallery until October 13^th.

This week the Yonge + St. Clair Blog spoke with John Neate Jr., founder of popular Vancouver-based coffee roasters JJ Bean to talk about his company, the Toronto coffee scene, and new beginnings at Yonge + St. Clair. The Neate family has been roasting coffee for four generations and in 1996 John launched JJ Bean. There are now over 20 unique locations across Vancouver and Toronto.

JJ Bean will be opening their third Toronto location in the lobby of 2 St. Clair West this fall.

Congratulations on opening your second JJ Bean location in the downtown core earlier this month! How are you enjoying the Toronto coffee scene?

The Toronto coffee scene has been fabulous! Toronto has become a second home to me – I’ve been coming here every three to four weeks now for the last year and a half, and have become very familiar with the coffee scene. I’ve met with all the major players and did extensive research before scouting out our new locations here. The JJ Bean at Adelaide and York just opened up August 12th, and it’s been great so far – it’s been a lot busier than expected.

Torontonians really love their coffee, don’t they?

 No kidding – there’s been major changes and growth in the industry. To see what’s happened here over the last few years has been great.

How would you compare the coffee culture in Toronto to Vancouver? What does JJ Bean bring to Toronto coffee culture that it’s currently missing?

In terms of the coffee scene in particular, there are a lot of really great roasters in Toronto. The knowledge of the baristas here is really impressive – it’s nice to see a lot of coffee being made here with manual machines versus automatic. Toronto baristas are getting the coffee right; they’re getting the milk right, and they’re producing great products.

What we see as a big opportunity is that not a lot of Toronto coffee shops are doing their own food. Most shops are getting their baked goods from other places. With JJ Bean, we have a commissary, which prepares all the raw ingredients, but each store is equipped with their own ovens and in-store bakers. We do all of our baking in-house.

The customers love it; there’s nothing better than fresh compared to a muffin made somewhere else, frozen, and reheated.  We’re not seeing anyone really doing that on a multi-location level.

What drew you to establish your third location at Yonge + St. Clair? What do you see in the area?

One of the things that I really look for in a great location is a place that can be busy Monday-Friday, driven by the 9-5 office crowd, but that can also be supported by a neighbourhood community on the weekends. Vancouver has a lot of areas like this, but Toronto is fairly scarce with these locations. There’s a lot of disposable income in the residential areas around this intersection that can support good retail on a 24/7 basis. Yonge + St. Clair seems like it will be a great fit for JJ Bean.

When searching for the next new location – I always try and look for emerging areas: ones with big upside and potential. With what Slate is doing, and what the Weston family is planning, I really believe the Yonge + St. Clair area is going to be totally revitalized in the coming years.

For people that have yet to make it out to one of your Toronto locations, are there any places they can try JJ Bean coffee?

 Absolutely! We have a couple of locations right now serving JJ Bean roasts. 5 Elements at Avenue Road and Davenport serves our coffee, and we’re supplying all the coffee for Dark Horse’s Cold Brew. A large part of our plan in Toronto is to have a thriving wholesale business so this is only the beginning.

When can we expect the Yonge + St. Clair JJ Bean to open?

We’re hoping to open in the first week of October. Originally we planned for an earlier opening, but we’ve seen some delays due to what we‘re doing at that location. The building’s office lobby was recently completely renovated and has impressively high ceilings – we’re actually building a house inside of the space, and while it’s taking a little longer, it looks absolutely fabulous.

Oh wow. That sounds really cool.

 Yeah, we’re really happy with it.

I’m really excited to check out the space when it’s done. What’s your recommended first drink and snack for a JJ Bean newbie like myself?

Well, I personally think that people should have a traditional cappuccino and a butter tart. And if a butter tart is too sweet for your tastes, our croissants are some of the best in Toronto. The muffins we bake are about three times larger than the one’s at Tim Horton’s –  our Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffin is probably our most desired baked good.

Fantastic. Thanks John.

 Thanks so much.

National Post’s Chris Selley said he ‘was downright astonished at the state of the joint.’ City Councillor Josh Matlow said it’s now just ‘a place between Yonge and Eglinton and Bloor.’ Vice President of the Deer Park Residents Association David Cameronsmith told the paper ‘it’s just gone to hell in a handcart.’

Yonge + St. Clair has been overlooked for decades, but it wasn’t always that way. It was once regarded as a vibrant and bustling place – it was a scene. It was the home of Glenn Gould; it was a fashion centre; it was fur coats and martini drinking. It has always been the gateway to some of Toronto’s most prominent neighbourhoods. It sits on top of an important transit hub. It is historically important. All of the ingredients are there to create a neighbourhood that is again a destination in and of itself.

As reported by Bisnow, Slate Asset Management has acquired 8 office towers in the heart of the neighbourhood, including those that occupy the 4 corners of its namesake intersection.

‘We have an opportunity’, Lucas Manuel of Slate Asset Management, told the National Post, ‘to make some big and fast and consolidated changes to the neighbourhood, which is our goal.’

And the changes are indeed coming fast.

The first phase of development at 2 St. Clair East has begun under the direction of award-winning, San Francisco-based architecture firm Gensler. An 8-storey mural by Sheffield’s renowned Phlegm now adorns the western wall of 1 St. Clair West. Vancouver-based independent coffee roasters JJ Bean are set to open one of their first Toronto retail outposts in a custom-built house in the lobby of 2 St. Clair West. And this is just the beginning.

Future plans include renovations to building lobbies and exteriors, modernizing every elevator in the neighbourhood, and bringing sweeping changes to the public realm and streetscape pedestrian experience. The ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life at Yonge + St. Clair. In attracting ‘the types of tenants who can support an improved retail base’ Slate hopes to breathe new life into the neighbourhood’s 9-to-5 rhythm and take the energy up to 24-7.

‘My wife and I live in the area’, David Hopkins of restaurant consultants The Fifteen Group tells National Post, ‘and we certainly don’t go to Yonge and St. Clair if we’re looking for somewhere to eat.’ This echoes a familiar sentiment. But through the reinvention of the 4 corners Slate is confident they can change that tune. And the newly proposed patio and restaurant space at 2 St. Clair West is a leap in the right direction.

Countless neighbourhoods across the city have successfully reinvented themselves with much more than a tired public sentiment working against them. Yonge + St. Clair is in a unique position to capitalize. Lucas is adamant that ‘[t]his is not a flipping strategy… It’s an own forever strategy.’ And with enough property to effectively act as their own business improvement area Slate not only has the passion but the means to make good on their promise.

This past week, the Yonge + St. Clair Blog visited the offices of IBI Group at 55 St. Clair West to speak with Architect David Hastings about his firm, architecture, the Yonge + St. Clair community, and his favorite lunch spot. David has been practicing architecture in Ontario for over 30 years and oversees the firm’s architecture and interior design practice for the Greater Toronto Area. He is a recipient of the Governor General’s Medal for Architecture in Canada.

What sets IBI Group apart from other architectural firms?

We’re more than architects. IBI stands for “Intelligence, Buildings, and Infrastructure.” We bring a multi-disciplinary approach to everything we do, from architecture to city planning. This is an approach that began right at the outset. When the firm was founded in 1974, we already had four domains of practice: Urban Development, Architecture, Land, and Transportation.

Of course, over time, we have only built upon and added to those domains. What started as two offices in Toronto and Vancouver has grown into 63 offices all around the world. The IBI Group is now the fourth largest architecture firm in the world.

How is life as an architect at IBI?

As an architect at IBI, I’ve always found it fascinating to be involved with projects that I wouldn’t get close to in a traditional architectural practice – sometimes I’m doing transportation and sometimes I’m doing systems planning. I also think that this opportunity allows me to be a better architect, because it gives me a much broader perspective. Each element is a piece in a much larger framework.

What is your architecture design philosophy?

I always look for context in anything we build. Stand alone architecture as a sort of trophy is questionable to me.

I’m always pushing our architects to broaden their horizons and think about the context in which they’re designing and building. Elements of urban planning, transit, landscape architecture, the local culture, and much more have to be considered.

It should never be architecture for architecture’s sake. It’s a balance between respecting the local context and also creating something that advances the building of a community.

 What has been your favourite project to work on over your career?

Up until a few years ago I had never worked on a healthcare project. Then and I was fortunate to be involved in the repurposing of the Sherbourne Health Centre that now serves many marginalized groups in the area (Sherbourne and Carlton). This project was a result of the Wellesley hospital shutting down. A lot of their clientele got either siphoned off to St. Michaels, or was left homeless, both literally and figuratively.

It was really meaningful to provide architectural and design services to an effort that was providing that kind of support for the community. Trying to make an environment that is conducive to healing and quality living has been very rewarding.

IBI has over 150 LEED accredited professionals on its roster, and with projects like Women’s College Hospital and Delta Toronto being LEED Certified, sustainability is an important element in IBI’s work. What is your attitude towards LEED and sustainable design?

The LEED accreditation has been monumentally important in changing people’s attitudes towards sustainability – as both a philosophy and technology. At IBI, we use the term ‘biophilic design’ which has to do with going through and thinking about the biology of what it is we’re building and how we fit into that ecosystem. LEED is big part of sustainable design and is a major philosophy attitude in my work.

 What drew IBI to establish their Toronto Global Office at Yonge + St. Clair?

Before we moved into 55 St. Clair 2 years ago, we had made ourselves homeless by selling our building downtown. It took us well over a year to find the right building in the right area. A big thing was finding a place with big floor plates that wasn’t really possible downtown, and after looking at over 30 locations this building really stood out for us.

What is it about 55 St. Clair West that stuck out?

We‘re sitting in a building that was built in 1982 – technologically the building is 1982. But it has very forward-thinking attributes. The physical layout of the building, the access to natural light, the big floor plates, and the indoor/outdoor terraces surrounding our space are all very current in design thinking today.

The view isn’t bad either [laughs].

 What are your thoughts of Yonge + St. Clair?

Yonge + St. Clair has been a neighbourhood in transition and that’s very interesting to us as professionals. We have witnessed firsthand its evolution and have been able to compare it to our old neighbourhood downtown.

When I lived here, a long time ago [laughs], the retail was a lot of high–end shops and the restaurants were very boring. But then the shops left and the area became a little seedy. There have been some ups and downs over the decades.

Now, with all of the investment being made in the area, it‘s ripe for a new generation to come in and make their mark on the food, culture and retail scene.

Speaking of food, what’s your favourite lunch spot?

I really like the Italian places along Yonge Street. There are a few of them down there and they’re all good. What Yonge + St. Clair really needs is a good greasy spoon.

There’s always Holy Chuck Burger.

 Oh really? I’ll have to check it out.

[Laughs] It’s good and greasy! Thanks David.

 My pleasure.

Slate Asset Management is in a unique position of owning all four corners of the Yonge + St. Clair intersection. This is an unprecedented opportunity to bring a coordinated, holistic approach to transforming a major city intersection. Reimagining the various facades that frame the intersection is a natural starting point, the first of which is already well underway.

Hoarding currently surrounds the intersection’s northeast corner. Soon the hoarding will break away to unveil a brand new facade and streetscape. As it stands, 2 St. Clair East is a fifteen-storey commercial office building with two levels of retail and a connection to the St. Clair subway station. The Property shares the area’s only enclosed retail space with the neighbouring property, the Weston Centre. The building was originally constructed in 1976.

Below is a rendering of the future look of the building, with an updated exterior facade imagined by architectural firm Gensler. The sparkling new design will house an expanded and fully renovated TD Bank branch on the main level, and a new Rexall will be located on the concourse level. Greenhouse Juice Co. and Starbucks will be serving drinks at street level, and some old favourites will be returning with new looks downstairs. Slate also redesigned the public corridors to improve navigation and streamline TTC access and modernized the building’s elevators (so people can move up and down as well as sideways). When speaking with Bisnow, Slate Managing Director, Lucas Manuel, said he views this property as “the gateway to the neighbourhood, so it’s important to start [improvement] there.”

Completion of the new 2 St. Clair East is slated for December 2016.

Somehow in the last 20 years, Yonge + St. Clair became a bit of a desert. It became a shell of its former self. The who’s who didn’t leave, but they stopped playing here. The tower cluster remains, reminding us that Toronto knew that transit-oriented development was well before it became a buzzword – but the energy is gone. It went to Yonge & Bloor and Yonge & Eglinton, as well as to other parts of the city. But Slate Asset Management hopes to change  this. Over the last few years they have acquired many of the towers in the area and have already begun to make some much needed investments.

One of those investments is a new brand and identity for the neighbourhood. They hired Toronto’s blackjet Inc. to imagine what this might be and how it could respond to the rich history and character of the neighbourhood.

The Yonge + St. Clair Blog spoke to Art Director Cameron Ward of blackjet about the new look.

Can you tell me a little about where the design came from?

The design came out of a single idea. Yonge and St. Clair is, in the simplest terms, an intersection. It’s where these 2 iconic streets meet. But at the same time, we wanted to embed the eclectic vibe of the area into this simplicity. There’s a lot of character and history in those 4 corners. Our design is a testament to that.

We also wanted to convey confidence. In our minds Yonge and St. Clair – what it was, what it is now, and what it’s becoming – is a confident neighbourhood.

And there’s an architectural relevance too. Our client owns 8 buildings at the intersection so the revitalization will obviously come through in the built form. Gensler [Architecture Firm] and IBI [Group] are already working away. The renderings look great. The designs are really clean and timeless. Like the branding. Hopefully.

It’s very bright.

[Laughing] Yeah they’re actually neon pantones. The colours were chosen to juxtapose the black and white photography we’re using in a few executions. And they definitely pop against the greys of the environment. These aren’t colours that occur often in the city. They’re confident colours.

You mentioned Gensler Architecture Firm. They’re working on the exterior of 1 St. Clair East and the exterior and lobby of 2 St. Clair East. IBI Group has already completed the new lobby of 2 St. Clair West. How do you see the branding living in these spaces?

I actually have a background in architecture so I know how important the details are. These projects are thoroughly designed from top to bottom so we need to be strategic in the way we incorporate the branding. It can’t be something we plaster all over the place, it has to be subtle.

An objective of any branding is to create cohesion. In this case it’s a little difficult because we’re not just looking to make street banners look like transit posters. We’re making sure 8 office towers have some of the same DNA. And we need to maintain the integrity of the architects’ designs. So it’s going to come through in the details. It would be easy to toss big plus signs on the walls and call it a day, but that’s not our approach.  And it wouldn’t look very good.

The branding will be present but it won’t be obvious. You might need to keep an eye out for it. We’re still working on some elements. I can’t say much more but it’s going to be really cool.

C’mon.

[Laughing] It’s going to be good. I’ll leave it at that.

Thanks Cam.