Toronto said goodbye to the iconic Honest Ed’s discount store at Bloor and Bathurst at the end of 2016, ending a 68-year run that helped define the neighbourhood’s neon-lit charm. Now, nearly a decade later, a new mixed-use community is rising to take its place, with most of the work either already done or expected to be completed by early summer.
For Torontonians who still remember the old red-and-yellow Honest Ed’s signs, Mirvish Village will feel like a major change, and yet still hold on to some of that old-school neighbourhood aura that helped make Honest Ed’s such a hit to begin with. Instead of one giant store, the five-building, mixed-use community includes 890 rental apartments (a mix of studio and one- to three-bedroom homes), restored heritage buildings, and, for nature lovers, a 15,000 square-foot park fronting Markham St.
Retail, arts and event spaces will play a huge role in the new community. Along the highly visible Bloor and Bathurst retail frontage, confirmed tenants include Bestco Foods, LCBO, Pet Planet, BMO, Upper Village Vet and H2 Hair Studio. Expect a major student presence, too: Niagara College Toronto is already operating its Mirvish Campus in the village through a partnership with the Toronto School of Management.
But perhaps the biggest hangout space is The Kitchen: the 19,000-square-foot food hall also acts as a bar and live music venue. It’s expected to become one of the development’s main gathering places, with 14 food vendors, bar and event spaces, outdoor festivals in the park and year-round live performances.
The food lineup is already shaping up. Pizzeria Badiali just opened its second Toronto location on Markham St, bringing the popular Dovercourt Village slice shop into the restored Victory House. The new shop serves Badiali’s familiar New York-style classics along with an exclusive grandma-style pizza, with dough stretched into a tray and baked almost immediately, resulting in a square pie with a thin crust and cheese layered before the sauce. Seriously, who knew grandmacore pizza was a thing? Either way, we’re all for it.
Pasta Basta is opening this summer, serving authentic Roman-style street pasta to the Markham Street strip. We’re still waiting on more details, but the restaurant promises pasta “the way it is eaten in Rome,” cooked to order with quality ingredients.
Pastry lovers can look out for Blackbird Baking Company: the chain is known for its seasonal pastry cases, so you can add almond croissant bread pudding or Gruyere and scallion scones to your morning go-to buys, while Cremma Gelato will bring a frozen dessert stop to the neighbourhood.
Book Bar will add a sort of literary nightlife angle to the mix. The two-storey bookstore and bar, set to open at the end of June, is housed in one of the original Victorian homes along Markham St, and will be the perfect spot to sit and read, browse bookshelves or hang out in the bar-lounge area.
Follow @mirvish.village for more updates.
