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| For lease signs pepper the street |
The new Starbucks in what was the TD building at Laird Dr. and Eglinton Ave E should be taken as a sign of gentrification. Starbucks stands for nothing if not good coffee and an upwardly mobile neighborhood. The question is whether even Starbucks can help the strip of businesses along the north side of Eglinton between Sutherland and Laird. For years there has been a “for lease” sort of malaise along the strip, despite the arrival of some blue chip players like a Sherwin Williams franchise and Stephenson’s Rentals. These are not boutique dress shops but they are a draw. The recent addition of ServiceOntario would be more helpful if it didn’t seem like a welfare office. Ontario has a way of dispensing long lineups and “service” together. Parking is limited. Compare it to the successful shops in the Dawsco strip mall on Brentcliffe opposite Marshall’s where the parking is plentiful. Much will change when the LRT station is built. We hope for the best for Eglinton between Sutherland and Laird.
