BIG SCREENS TO BE INSTALLED IN BIG CITY
By Adnews Staff
Cadillac Fairview Corp. has formed a joint venture with Phoenix, AZ-based Eller Media Companies and The Ellman Companies called Eller Media Company Canada. The new firm aims to bring big Times Square-style advertising displays to Canada, beginning with the soon-to-be-refurbished Yonge and Dundas intersection in Toronto. Coinciding with the redevelopment by the city of the surrounding area, one part of the enterprise will see a series of 20' x 60' backlit signs inset into the Yonge Street facade of the Toronto Eaton Centre, which is owned by Cadillac Fairview, all the way from Queen Street to Dundas. Half of these signs will be ready as early as June, the rest becoming available in the fall of 2000. In the fall of this year, a 223 foot-tall media tower with a full colour electronic display will be built at the northwest corner of the intersection outside the Atrium on Bay shopping centre, the managing partner of which is The Ellman Cos. In the fall of 2000, a second tower 219 feet tall will be constructed at the southwest corner of the intersection in front of a new grand entrance to the Eaton Centre which will include more backlit signage consisting of 14' x 48' panels set in a semi-circle behind the tower. These two towers will overlook the forthcoming Dundas Square, a proposed park area across the intersection that will include an entertainment complex and multiplex movie theatre. "Great cities around the world are known for their landmark squares where world class retailers, city events and spectacular outdoor media all come together," said Eller's top Canadian representative John Jory in a release. "Like New York's Times Square, Toronto residents will soon see the redevelopment of Dundas Square begin to take shape and become the site for many important Toronto events." Eller Media Co. Canada has plans to build more such structures across the country where suitable conditions exist.