Quote:
Originally Posted by red-paladin
I was down at the plaza today. The grand opening is on the 17th.
There is a lot of decorating going on today, many workers putting up wood and metal accents, signage, etc. The emtpy stores have their windows generically coloured, and there are a lot more stores open than the last time I was there. I am not sure that two Starbucks' are called for in the same building, but maybe I'm wrong. The back of the Old Spaghetti Factory, which was really ugly, is now all cleaned up too. They are putting up some plastic covers under the guideway (between the two box girders) and putting big decals on the concrete floor. I still think the place has too much bare concrete and a grungy appearance, but perhaps the workers will clean a lot too.
|
Personally, I really like how this unique project is shaping up. The units are now about two thirds occupied. I toured the inside of the Tim Horton's three days ago, and it's nearing completion. I estimate that it should be open within the next two or three weeks hopefully (Once the store is complete, it will also take a little while to hire employees, etc.). As a resident of the neighborhood, I'm very happy with having all these shops and services nearby. There are now 37 businesses open, with two more about to open in the next few weeks. Been to the movies four times so far, and the cinemas look great. The seats are comfortable. The mall is now looking much more like a shopping centre, with newly added benches and tables. Though the final design looks very different than the original conceptual art, I rather like the whole "Blade Runner-esque" final look. I wouldn't be at all surprised if many Hollywood productions choose Plaza 88 as a shooting location in the future, because of its unique---and somewhat gritty---look (particularly the "mezzanine" level underneath the Skytrain guideway).