One Victoria | 63 m | 19 fl | Complete

[dubya]

I really think they should have opened a Starbucks or a Williams.

Those chains are highly unlikely to serve as a destination. They are not a destination these days because we already have these chains with locations all over town. That would perhaps be different if this were to be the first or second location for either chain in the region but in some parts of town Starbucks in particular is more ubiquitous than Tim Horton's these days.

Settlement will be good for downtown because like Balzacs and Smile Tiger they are focused on quality rather than volume. They serve better coffee, a greater variety of coffee and baked goods that rival most of the best bakeries around. Its the stuff people go out of their way for. 

Further to that, shops like these (proliferating into one general area like this) have a tendency to legitimize places in which they locate as cool and can serve as catalysts for attracting employers and residents. They are creators of gentrification, if you will. Uptown's image as the place to live and work over downtown is just that little bit more eroded. 

I'll add though that I'm surprised by this move as I have heard lease rates in this building, all-in were in the $50 sq/ft range so the sales volume will need to be there if Settlement is to survive long term.