HighView Partners’ James Ashley recently had the pleasure of meeting with Peterson and touring Mirvish Village at Bloor and Bathurst. It’s every bit as impressive in person as it looks from the street.
You can’t walk this site without thinking about what came before it. Ed Mirvish opened Honest Ed’s at Bloor and Markham in 1948, and it ran for 68 years under a sign lit by 23,000 bulbs.
The village itself began almost by accident. Ed started buying the houses along Markham Street planning to replace them with a parking lot for the store. The City said no, so the houses became restaurants, cafés, antique shops, and artists’ studios instead. It was Anne Mirvish who persuaded him to rent them to artists, and their son David opened his gallery there in 1963. One of Toronto’s best-loved streets exists because a parking lot was turned down.
Westbank and Peterson bought the site in 2013. Honest Ed’s closed its doors on December 31, 2016, and work began on one of the most ambitious redevelopments the city has seen.
The design, by Henriquez Partners Architects, set out to keep the feel of the old street. Rather than one large block, the 4.5-acre site is broken into small towers and street-level buildings, with the Markham Street heritage houses restored for new restaurants and cafés. Earlier this year, Peterson took full ownership of the project.
The first thing James noticed was how much character has been kept. Restored brick houses sit beside striking new buildings, with Pizzeria Badiali and Blackbird Baking Co. already drawing people in. Honest Ed’s Alley is a pedestrian shopping lane modelled on those in Tokyo, and it’s unlike anything else in the city.
Honest Ed’s Park opened this July, across the street from where the store once stood. Its design borrows from the store’s hand-painted signs, and its bird-bath water feature is a nod to one of Ed’s best-known slogans.
Then there’s the scale: about 890 purpose-built rental homes across five buildings, from studios to three-bedrooms, with around 200,000 square feet of retail, office, and food and beverage space. The design, finishes, and amenities were a highlight of the tour.
The community is still in lease-up, with new residents arriving, more shops and restaurants opening, and the food hall taking shape. It’s an exciting time to see it. Toronto has plenty of new buildings, but very few new places with this much history and personality in one block.
Our thanks to the Peterson team for the tour. If you haven’t walked through Mirvish Village yet, it’s well worth the visit.
Reach out to our team to discuss how we can help connect you to people who perform in Canadian real estate.
Co-founder of HighView Partners, Nicola brings over twenty years of experience in real estate recruitment across Canada. Nicola has worked with over 100 real estate employers and has successfully executed over 1000 searches throughout her career. Her focus on the real estate industry means she has built relationships with current and future real estate leaders. Her passion for connecting people who perform has created exceptional results and trusted relationships.
Nicola holds a degree in Psychology and a diploma in Life Coaching, and is a member of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC). Her professional opinion has been featured in Canadian Property Management Magazine, and she has worked closely with BOMA. Nicola has also been a guest speaker at various industry events where she shares her expertise in attraction, retention and recruitment. Affiliated with Toronto CREW, Nicola is an advocate for women in real estate and supports various committees.
Outside of work, Nicola volunteers in her local community and supports several local charities. She enjoys travelling, reading, cooking (with a glass of red wine), and spending time with her family and friends.
Based in Vancouver, Richard leads HighView’s recruitment and talent search practice on the West Coast. Richard has been connecting people who perform in Canadian real estate since 2010. The industry regards him as one of its most diligent and professional recruiters. Originally from the UK and now a proud Canadian citizen, Richard has a far-reaching professional network, having also spent time in Sydney, Australia. Richard embodies HighView’s values and is resolute in his commitment to do the right thing by his clients and candidates.
Richard holds a BA in Criminology and International Politics. Over the past decade, Richard is proud to have helped hundreds of real estate professionals move forward in their careers. He is dedicated to staying on top of market news and industry trends, and is a familiar face at real estate associations, including NAIOP, BOMA, UDI, ICSC, and ULI.
Outside of work, Richard lives a healthy and active lifestyle. He thrives on setting new challenges and personal goals. From competitive road cycling, running and cross-country skiing, he can’t say no to a little friendly competition
