[coolmillion]

Lately I have been beginning to wonder if one of the factors that has contributed to the failure of downtown malls (along with changing consumer preferences, the rise of suburban shopping, etc.) relates to the layout and the size of the retail spaces. In Park Lane (and the former Maritime Centre) most of the spaces are small, verging on tiny. Part of the reason for this is that the property is quite narrow. It would be very expensive to do major renovations (and I think Keith previously pointed out that this and other malls are owned by Crombie REIT which may be reluctant to invest in upgrades). Apart from Cleve's and a couple other spaces it is poorly configured for bigger stores. Without renovating the entire main floor it will be very hard to find a major retailer, even one that would require a smaller space, to open there because it is so out of date. I think when it opened it was designed to be more "boutique-y", meaning smaller, upscale, niche stores. Now most of those have moved out while a few hang on. It's beginning to remind me a bit of Tinsel Town in Vancouver.

On the flip side the Scotia Square food court was recently renovated and looks great. It's packed all the time with office workers and students and I bet a lot of the people that eat there would support new and better stores.