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-   -   New Horizon Mall: Biggest White Elephant Mall in Canada? (https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=237936)

Likka Feb 27, 2019 5:00 AM

New Horizon Mall: Biggest White Elephant Mall in Canada?
 
I pass by that mall everyday to work on a construction project. What a joke. The sign is covered in snow, and there may be 10 vehicles in the entire parking lot. Who is the rocket scientist who decided it would be a great idea to build a second mall outside of Calgary, within 500 metres of Crossiron Mills?

Rollerstud98 Feb 27, 2019 5:49 AM

Before it was cold out there were probably 20-25 vehicles in the parking lot. Remember the mall has heated underground parking, probably where most people visiting now park.

Rollerstud98 Feb 27, 2019 3:12 PM

Also, unless you are an investor, no it is not a white elephant mall. Tax payers did not pay to build it and are not on the hook if it fails.

suburbia Feb 27, 2019 5:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rollerstud98 (Post 8488786)
Before it was cold out there were probably 20-25 vehicles in the parking lot. Remember the mall has heated underground parking, probably where most people visiting now park.

Is the underground open to visitors now? When I had visited earlier, they were controlling the underground parking, only allowing employees.

Jay in Cowtown Feb 27, 2019 7:13 PM

Is it big enough to gut and build a fieldhouse out of? :haha:

YYCguys Feb 27, 2019 7:19 PM

R
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by suburbia (Post 8489266)
Is the underground open to visitors now? When I had visited earlier, they were controlling the underground parking, only allowing employees.

With only about 65 of the 500 units open for business I’m sure that there’s room in the parkade for staff and customers of all open stores at this time! No need to restrict parking!

I noticed on Wikipedia that one of the anchors is T&T Supermarket! I wonder where it would be located?

suburbia Feb 27, 2019 7:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YYCguys (Post 8489415)
With only about 65 of the 500 units open for business I’m sure that there’s room in the parkade for staff and customers of all open stores at this time! No need to restrict parking!

I think the reason they are restricting underground parking to employees is because that way they can save money on security given the risk of vandalism for a largely empty facility.

suburbia Feb 27, 2019 7:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay in Cowtown (Post 8489403)
Is it big enough to gut and build a fieldhouse out of? :haha:


The footprint is likely large enough, but the tiered roof-line requires pillars, unfortunately.

canucklehead2 Dec 18, 2019 7:56 PM

Any updates on the mall since last winter? Still a dead zone?

Rollerstud98 Dec 18, 2019 11:08 PM

I think still below 20% of stores are filled in was the last that I heard. Have not been in myself to check it out though.

PPAR Dec 28, 2019 11:31 PM

Investors in this project did not get the memo about retail moving online: I cannot think of a business model more exposed to the Amazon effect than a rural destination mall of small independent shops.
"Hmm... should I drive all the way out to Balzac today, or ask the warehouse across the highway from the mall to deliver the same product to my door tomorrow for 20% less?"

canucklehead2 Dec 29, 2019 2:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PPAR (Post 8786210)
Investors in this project did not get the memo about retail moving online: I cannot think of a business model more exposed to the Amazon effect than a rural destination mall of small independent shops.
"Hmm... should I drive all the way out to Balzac today, or ask the warehouse across the highway from the mall to deliver the same product to my door tomorrow for 20% less?"

As long as the developer made a buck on building I am sure they could give two shits about filling the place. It's a shame because a building like this could create something unique and wonderful that would be different from any dying mall. Alas...

zahav Dec 29, 2019 5:18 AM

It was a very odd idea and yes, the owner's don't seem to really care about filling it. Usually dead malls had to have lived in order to die, this was dead on arrival

YYCguys Dec 29, 2019 1:49 PM

Here’s my idea for NHM: convert into a casino/bowling alley/games centre a la Century Sports or Rec Room (and perhaps a water park and/or additional ice space as we all know it’s in dire need across the region for our minor hockey and lacrosse kids).

PPAR Dec 29, 2019 9:36 PM

I think the property is condominiumized: Small investors actually own the stalls.

This makes any wholesale conversion difficult, which is a real shame.

Corndogger Dec 29, 2019 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PPAR (Post 8786607)
I think the property is condominiumized: Small investors actually own the stalls.

This makes any wholesale conversion difficult, which is a real shame.

That's true and probably why the mall hasn't been converted into some type of major attraction/sports facility. I doubt whoever is running the mall cares as long as they're being paid.

jc_yyc_ca Dec 29, 2019 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Corndogger (Post 8786636)
That's true and probably why the mall hasn't been converted into some type of major attraction/sports facility. I doubt whoever is running the mall cares as long as they're being paid.

Quote:

Originally Posted by YYCguys (Post 8786418)
Here’s my idea for NHM: convert into a casino/bowling alley/games centre a la Century Sports or Rec Room (and perhaps a water park and/or additional ice space as we all know it’s in dire need across the region for our minor hockey and lacrosse kids).

The reason it hasn't been converted already to one of those ideas is they don't make any sense whatsoever financially. The cost of building a community arena from scratch is cheaper than it would be to covert this building into an arena. Century sports already exists just down the road, no point in building a second one. Bowling alleys and casinos are in decline.

Corndogger Dec 30, 2019 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jc_yyc_ca (Post 8786681)
The reason it hasn't been converted already to one of those ideas is they don't make any sense whatsoever financially. The cost of building a community arena from scratch is cheaper than it would be to covert this building into an arena. Century sports already exists just down the road, no point in building a second one. Bowling alleys and casinos are in decline.

A massive water park would be a huge hit and fit the building well. There are other things they could do as well that would be unique to the Calgary area. There's already a casino so building another one wouldn't be a good idea.

Northern Dec 30, 2019 4:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Corndogger (Post 8786699)
A massive water park would be a huge hit and fit the building well. There are other things they could do as well that would be unique to the Calgary area. There's already a casino so building another one wouldn't be a good idea.

Building a massive water park would be a huge hit - a huge financial hit for the dummy who builds it. Massive water parks aren't money makers in Canada, and trying to retrofit one into a mall would be more expensive and complicated than building one from scratch.

Rollerstud98 Dec 31, 2019 3:10 AM

https://discoverairdrie.com/local/ne...m-fresh-market

Seems some positives. Hopefully they can just keep filling in the stores.


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