What to know
- Mirvish Village has brought back the iconic Honest Ed’s signage
- Located at Bloor Street and Bathurst Street, the redeveloped Mirvish Village contains retail space, a food hall, restored heritage houses, and apartment buildings.
- This long-awaited overhaul comes nearly 10 years after the Honest Ed’s discount store closed on New Year’s Eve 2016.
Mirvish Village is bringing back the iconic Honest Ed’s Alley in redevelopment efforts.
Located at the corner of Bloor Street and Bathurst Street, Mirvish Village is finally near completion with residential units, a food hall, retail space, heritage houses, and a reinstated “Honest Ed’s” light up sign.
I thought Honest Ed’s was closed permanently?
by u/thegmohodste01 in toronto
This long-awaited overhaul comes nearly 10 years after Toronto’s beloved Honest Ed’s discount store closed on New Year’s Eve 2016, ending its nearly 70-year run as the city’s premier discount store.
Now, according to Peterson, the development company behind the new Mirvish Village, Honest Ed’s Alley will be transformed into a micro-retail space that aims to support “creative, innovative and passionate entrepreneurs and small business owners.”
The businesses can set up shop and showcase new products without needing to put down a major deposit or sign a long term lease.
“Honest Ed’s Alley features neon signage and lighting inspired by alleyways of Tokyo. Lined with street vendors and unique retailers these alleyways are lit with beautiful lanterns and signs that draw in visitors to activate the space day and night,” states a press release about Mirvish Village.
Honest Ed’s history in Toronto
Before the Honest Ed’s signage became a symbol of a bygone landmark, it was Toronto’s premier discount store.
It boasted about deep price-cuts decades before it was commonplace in chains like Walmart and No Frills, and became part of Toronto‘s identity.
Founded in 1943, Honest Ed’s started out as “The Sports Bar,” a small women’s clothing store. Over the following 40 years, the store went through three expansions, taking over more of Bloor Street, Markham Street, before finally reaching Bathurst Street in 1984.
In 2013, the store and the surrounding Mirvish Village was put up for sale for $100 million dollars.
More highlights at Mirvish Village
Other than the micro-retail space, Mirvish Village will have a food hall with over a dozen vendors and restaurants called The Kitchen. Mockups show an indoor/outdoor dining area with lots of natural light.
Ten heritage houses have been restored to their former glory and will be reimagined into restaurants, bookstores, record stores, cafes and other retail establishments.
Finally, Mirvish Village will offer 900 residential units that span 7 apartment buildings.
The site is located in the middle of four neighbourhoods — The Annex, Seaton Village, Palmerston–Little Italy, and Harbord Village.
