Empress Walk
Empress Walk is a large condominium and retail complex at the intersection of Yonge Street and Empress Avenue in the North York Centre area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Developed by Menkes Development, Phase 1 was completed in 1997 and Phase 2 by 2000.
The podium of the complex is a three-storey retail mall covering 240,000 square feet (22,000 m2) topped with a 95 feet (29 m) dome, the highlight being the longest unsupported escalator in North America to give access to the movie theatre from the ground floor. There is a 3035-seat Cineplex Cinemas movie multiplex featuring an IMAX Theatre. The lowest level has underground access to the North York Centre subway station.
Above are two 34-storey residential towers, known as the Royal Pinnacle, with a total of 745 units between them.
Major retail includes a Loblaws Empress Market, LCBO, Cineplex Cinemas, Pet Smart, Best Buy.
Overview
Behind the Empress Walk complex on its east side is Princess Park, commemorating the original sites of the first municipal building and fire hall of North York. It features the façade of the former Township of North York Municipal Offices from the 1940s, while the bell/clock tower from the fire hall has been reconstructed and serves as the centrepiece for the park.
Across the street, and connected via the TTC tunnel, are Mel Lastman Square, the North York Civic Centre, the North York City Centre office tower and Novotel. Next door, and connected via a passageway is the 5075 Yonge Street tower, with Scotiabank and Upper Madison College.
It was built as part of Mel Lastman's bid to create a downtown in North York to rival the old city of Toronto. It remains a hub of activity with condominium projects being built north and south of it today.
In 2000, the property was acquired by RioCan REIT, a Canadian real estate investment trust.
Current and former tenants
- Cineplex Cinemas (originally Famous Players SilverCity & Empire Theatres) (Cineplex had merged with Famous Players in the 1990s and sold off their Empress Walk location as they had a nearby Cineplex Sheppard Grande theatre at Sheppard Avenue and Yonge Street. In 2013, when Empire Theatres exited the Ontario market, Cineplex reacquired and renovated the Empress Walk location, while the Cineplex Sheppard Grande was demolished in 2016 as part of a major renovation of Yonge Sheppard Centre. Sheppard Grande will be replaced by an LA Fitness and Longos in early 2019 at Yonge Sheppard Centre)
- LCBO (formerly part of Indigo Books and Music then converted into a multi level retail space, now a one level LCBO)
- Loblaws Empress Market (used to have a unit called "Upstairs at Loblaws" which is now Walking on a cloud)
- Best Buy Canada (formerly Future Shop, prior to that Sport Chek)
- Wendy's (formerly Mall food court, then reconstructed into a multi retail unit)
- Dollarama (formerly Fabricland, prior to that Tower Records)
- PetSmart (formerly Solutions, Staples, prior to that)
- Morals Village Restaurant OPENING SOON (formerly Solutions, Staples, prior to that Indigo Books and Music)
- F45 Training OPENING SOON (formerly retail space)
The Milestones restaurant has permanently closed their location at Empress Walk (late July 2017). The space remains vacant.