The Metro Vancouver Retail Thread

[GlassCity]

Lansdowne's coming down fairly soon anyway, the Garden City location is much more stable.

[Klazu]

Related to this topic, here's my tour of the Tsawwassen Mills.





The 6000-car parking lot is absolutely massive and there are dedicated parking spaces for all kinds of shoppers.



Inside they have used different natural materials that make for a very pleasing appearance. There is lots of wood and even the lighting is soft and warm.











There are many art installations all over the mall which are a nice touch.







Some of the art pieces are really beautiful.









There are few cafeterias along the long corridors, but the 1,100-seat food court in the middle is where most restaurants are at (minus Boston Pizza and Montana's, which have separate entrances on the side. The food court is a busy place, but I didn't find the noise level too bad.





There are around 200 stores inside the main mall, but the main attraction is the very first Bass Pro Shop in British Columbia. It occupies a huge section of the eastern wing and is an attraction on its own. As I hope my photos will show, it's definitely worth a visit!





What they don't have at the store, you don't need. The selection is massive.









One of the many in-store attractions is a aquatic themed bowling alley and bar! The place was packed with families on a Saturday night and I can see it remaining busy, as the setting is very unique.











They have not spared any costs with the store and another attraction is the grand hallway through the store. With dozens of animals on display, it is a big draw for families.





Yes, there is even a waterfall and a huge fish tank with big fish!





The hallway leads to a separate entrace to the store through a very nice cabin themed lobby.





I presume that all the animals are real or at least they looked very life-like!







Back on the outside.



They have definitely learned from the opening weekend gong show, when people were stuck in a parking lot congestion for as long as four hours! Now there are guides at every entrance indicating that there are several exits from the mall.



Overall I was impressed by how much effort they have put into making Tsawwassen Mills a destination and Bass Pro Shop definitely is a must-see. There is a lot draw with this place, even though it is very far from most big residential areas and a car is needed. That is also the shame part about the mall, but I think it has lots of potential and we had a good time and will be visiting occassionally in the future.

I hope you enjoyed my tour of the place.

[GeeCee]

Wow, the Bass Pro Shops is crazy! Is the Cabela's in Abbotsford anything like that? I've never been inside either myself.

[excel]

That's a lot nicer than I had anticipated. Great pictures!

Originally Posted by Klazu

There is a lot draw with this place, even though it is very far from most big residential areas and a car is needed.

The 601, 609 and 620 buses all have stops at Tsawwassen Mills so it is theoretically reachable but obviously not very conveniently.

[Conrad Yablonski]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Related to this topic, here's my tour....

Overall I was impressed by how much effort they have put into making Tsawwassen Mills a destination and Bass Pro Shop definitely is a must-see. There is a lot draw with this place, even though it is very far from most big residential areas and a car is needed. That is also the shame part about the mall, but I think it has lots of potential and we had a good time and will be visiting occassionally in the future.

I hope you enjoyed my tour of the place.

Very much enjoyed the pics-Thanks for posting!

Originally Posted by GeeCee

Wow, the Bass Pro Shops is crazy! Is the Cabela's in Abbotsford anything like that?

No I'm told Cabelas is a fraction as large-and now Bass Pro has bought Cabelas!

[twoNeurons]

Originally Posted by GeeCee

Wow, the Bass Pro Shops is crazy! Is the Cabela's in Abbotsford anything like that? I've never been inside either myself.

That's nicer than the huge Cabela's in Tulalip, WA!

[Klazu]

Thanks for the comments, guys!

Originally Posted by GeeCee

Wow, the Bass Pro Shops is crazy!

Yeah, it exceeded my expectations and is worth seeing for yourself. I have few friends that are big into fishing and, boy, would this place be a heaven for them!

[Klazu]

Not related to the local retail, but this story from Toronto is so incredible that it is fascinating. I had no idea how the developer managed to totally screw up a brand new shopping center in along Canada's busiest street in Downtown Toronto, below Canada's tallest residential tower.

Even the best of locations cannot save you if you miss the mark on everything else. What a disaster.

National Post: A world-class address’: Nowhere else will you find such desolation and gloom as in the solitude of The Shops at Aura

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Not related to the local retail, but this story from Toronto is so incredible that it is fascinating. I had no idea how the developer managed to totally screw up a brand new shopping center in along Canada's busiest street in Downtown Toronto, below Canada's tallest residential tower.

Even the best of locations cannot save you if you miss the mark on everything else. What a disaster.

National Post: A world-class address’: Nowhere else will you find such desolation and gloom as in the solitude of The Shops at Aura

It's a shame that the real nugget of the article is found so deeply buried in it. It also has lessons for Vancouver:

...The Shops at Aura is not an isolated tragedy of doomed commercial enterprise. It’s a microcosm of a trend accelerating across the country: the condo boom, noxious and unrelenting, and forever destined to disappoint.

Across Toronto and Vancouver deluxe high-rises loom imposingly, half-empty and ready to rent; their balconies tumble to the ground, their power fails en masse, their waterlines burst and their appliances sputter. The Aura condo itself, that paragon of “luxury and sophistication,” has been plagued by misfortune: its nine elevators have broken down so frequently and for such lengths that the residents took to the local media to express their indignation: “It’s a little outrageous,” a tenant told the Toronto Star in August, after a rash of technical problems paralyzed the elevator banks. “It’s just too big a building. They haven’t accommodated.”...(bold mine)

[casper]

Originally Posted by whatnext

It's a shame that the real nugget of the article is found so deeply buried in it. It also has lessons for Vancouver:

...The Shops at Aura is not an isolated tragedy of doomed commercial enterprise. It’s a microcosm of a trend accelerating across the country: the condo boom, noxious and unrelenting, and forever destined to disappoint.

Across Toronto and Vancouver deluxe high-rises loom imposingly, half-empty and ready to rent; their balconies tumble to the ground, their power fails en masse, their waterlines burst and their appliances sputter. The Aura condo itself, that paragon of “luxury and sophistication,” has been plagued by misfortune: its nine elevators have broken down so frequently and for such lengths that the residents took to the local media to express their indignation: “It’s a little outrageous,” a tenant told the Toronto Star in August, after a rash of technical problems paralyzed the elevator banks. “It’s just too big a building. They haven’t accommodated.”...(bold mine)

Not certain this is the whole story, or even part of the story. This shopping complex happens to be in the hart of downtown Toronto. Across the street from the Chelsia (the largest hotel in Canada). Just off an area of Yonge street this is one of the most vibrant shopping street in Toronto, with a Bed Bath and Beyond and BMO also part of the street front.

It does not matter if the condos above are full or not. This location has so much foot traffic it should be busy. Yet no one goes into the complex.

My theory is because these are retail condos (each store is independently owned) who is going to market the overall shopping complex? Who is going to make certain it is the right mix of outlets? The answer is no one. The owners of the retail outlets meet periodically like any condo owner they hire a management company to maintain the common area and declare success. That is not have a shopping centre is managed. Virtually everything associated with how a shopping centre is managed is tossed out the window. This is the end result.

[LeftCoaster]

You have to see it to truly understand. The units are all in the basement and set out like a condo storage locker floor. It's the strangest place I've ever seen in a new building in Canada.

There is absolutely no question why it is a failure.

Honestly it's worth the trip if you're ever out here.

[Vin]

Aura is one of the worst designed malls I've seen. It's just like Aberdeen Square. Going for the cheap by cramming as many shops into rows of narrow claustrophobic hallways void of aesthetics or outside view, developers try to squeeze as much profit out of ignorant buyers lusting after "affordable" units. Never rent a storefront in a mall without a reputable mall management firm running it, as can be seen from many examples already. Some of such malls may work in the suburb areas, like Parker Place in Richmond, but the rent has to be super cheap. Certainly not a place like downtown Toronto. A responsible developer should buy back the stores from the individual owners, or re-negotiate with them about ownership, then reconfigure the whole place to allow larger format CRUs, skylights, higher-ceilinged foyers, or anything that a good mall should have, in order to ensure success.

Aura: World calss address, third world design.

[cairnstone]

Originally Posted by Vin

Aura is one of the worst designed malls I've seen. It's just like Aberdeen Square. Going for the cheap by cramming as many shops into rows of narrow claustrophobic hallways void of aesthetics or outside view, developers try to squeeze as much profit out of ignorant buyers lusting after "affordable" units. Never rent a storefront in a mall without a reputable mall management firm running it, as can be seen from many examples already. Some of such malls may work in the suburb areas, like Parker Place in Richmond, but the rent has to be super cheap. Certainly not a place like downtown Toronto. A responsible developer should buy back the stores from the individual owners, or re-negotiate with them about ownership, then reconfigure the whole place to allow larger format CRUs, skylights, higher-ceilinged foyers, or anything that a good mall should have, in order to ensure success.

Aura: World calss address, third world design.

There are several building s here like that. Poor low quality fixtures in high end buildings. Woodwards used to have 1 or 2 elevators out of service. Tinsel town has no real management. I serviced a few clients there and the operations manager is part time with a yahoo email. Very professional. Lets hope that we dont get to the point where we royal screw up and mismanage both the retail and strata portion of the building

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Vin

Aura is one of the worst designed malls I've seen. It's just like Aberdeen Square. Going for the cheap by cramming as many shops into rows of narrow claustrophobic hallways void of aesthetics or outside view, developers try to squeeze as much profit out of ignorant buyers lusting after "affordable" units. Never rent a storefront in a mall without a reputable mall management firm running it, as can be seen from many examples already. Some of such malls may work in the suburb areas, like Parker Place in Richmond, but the rent has to be super cheap. Certainly not a place like downtown Toronto. A responsible developer should buy back the stores from the individual owners, or re-negotiate with them about ownership, then reconfigure the whole place to allow larger format CRUs, skylights, higher-ceilinged foyers, or anything that a good mall should have, in order to ensure success.

Aura: World calss address, third world design.

Odd, was it a Chinese developer, like your other examples?

[LeftCoaster]

No, Canderel out of Montreal. A pretty solid developer.

[Retail-Insider]

The downtown Vancouver Post Office redevelopment will include almost 274,000 square feet of retail space: http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/...-to-rise-above-old-vancouver-post-office

[jayyb]

The new sports bar at Rogers Arena (called SportsBar) opens December 3rd. It will be 14,000 square feet with 110 tv's, a 16.5 projection screen and connect directly into the arena. This was part of the first Rogers Arena tower.

They also announced that SportsBar will become a brand and has already secured their second location. It is supposed to be a "landmark location" consisting of 20,000 square feet over 3 levels and include a rooftop patio. It is also expected to seat over 800 people.

If it truly is a "landmark location" I am guessing it might be part of the Parq development? That would only make sense as it is new space in the sports/entertainment district. Does anyone know where the second location might be?

[NewfBC]

Originally Posted by jayyb

The new sports bar at Rogers Arena (called SportsBar) opens December 3rd. It will be 14,000 square feet with 110 tv's, a 16.5 projection screen and connect directly into the arena. This was part of the first Rogers Arena tower.

They also announced that SportsBar will become a brand and has already secured their second location. It is supposed to be a "landmark location" consisting of 20,000 square feet over 3 levels and include a rooftop patio. It is also expected to seat over 800 people.

If it truly is a "landmark location" I am guessing it might be part of the Parq development? That would only make sense as it is new space in the sports/entertainment district. Does anyone know where the second location might be?

Hmm.. could be the space at Granville/Smithe

http://roofgarten.com/ site states it is open until Jan 1 2017.

Ron.

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

I'm not sure how long the 7-11 at Burrard and Helmcken has been closed but I just noticed today. It's the one just across from St. Paul's in the Burrard Hotel.

Jan.30 '16, my pics

Finally has a leased sign in the windows. Maybe by the time something new gets established here it will have been closed for over a year.



Nov.3 '16, my pics

[SpongeG]

it's been closed since at least the spring