Dead Malls of Canada - Page 32

Loco101 · #**621** Posted **Dec 28, 2017, 9:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capsicum

Bigger malls in the Greater Toronto area and Greater Vancouver area though seem to be doing really well. When I go there, many are often packed.

Smaller malls and mid-sized ones though have tougher luck.

Does anybody know of any malls in smaller cities that are doing well?

manny_santos · #**622** Posted **Dec 28, 2017, 10:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loco101

Does anybody know of any malls in smaller cities that are doing well?

Last time I was in Kingston's Cataraqui Centre (about a year ago) it was doing well, despite the loss of Target. I haven't been back since the former Target space was repurposed, or the closure of Sears.

SpongeG · #**623** Posted **Dec 28, 2017, 10:31 PM**

Prairie Mall in Grande Prairie alberta lost two of its anchors, most recently target. I forget what was the other anchor, I want to say it was sears, sears had moved into its own space independent of a mall a little further down the highway.

anyway what was the anchor spot was divided into more stores like marks, shoppers drug mart and smaller places.

Target was redone almost immediately after target vacated. It was reopened last fall with a marshalls and a few new smaller store spaces.

The same mall also lost a multiplex movie theatre, that space was divided up too, the main store being a dollarama.

Its probably due to the bitterly cold winters they can have that helps it keep busy. A number of new power centre style shopping places have opened in recent years so they have some competition, places like old navy, bed bath and beyond, Gap factory, pier one, mastermind toys, homesense, winners, jysk etc who could have all moved into the mall are in the power centres. GP attracts shoppers from a large area, 2 hours away from BC to 7 hours north to high level and the entire peace country area.

esquire · #**624** Posted **Dec 28, 2017, 10:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loco101

Does anybody know of any malls in smaller cities that are doing well?

Cornwall Centre and Midtown Plaza in Regina and Saskatoon respectively were doing well last time I passed through, but those are basically the undisputed top malls in Saskatchewan... the other competing malls in those cities are more along the lines of neighbourhood-level malls with a supermarket, bank, hair salon, etc.

What's interesting about those malls is that they're both downtown and thriving, which is not all that common in North America, especially in cities with fewer than 1,000,000 people.

Brandon Shoppers Mall in, you guessed it, Brandon, is also in good shape but again you're basically talking about a mall with a regional monopoly. The only other "mall" competitor is the power centre in Brandon, with the downtown mall there having been vanquished years ago. It basically functions as a community centre type facility these days.

Loco101 · #**625** Posted **Dec 29, 2017, 2:09 AM**

It seems as though malls that serve a large region in cities with a population of over 100,000 are doing well with a few exceptions. Most smaller than 100,000 population cities, even if they are regional centres are having issues. I don't know if 100,000 is the right number but I think it's close.

Here in Timmins, the Timmins Square shopping centre is a regional mall but it does have a number of vacant spaces. Recently the Sears store closed which hurt. But there are still a number of stores that are doing well. The mall has even attracting stores that were formerly in box-store format such as Mark's. The two other small malls in Timmins are a different story. One is pretty much dead and just offices now and the other is half-empty with some more store closures about to happen. We do have a good economy in Timmins but the city's and region's population is declining. And of course people are shopping online more than ever.

vid · #**626** Posted **Dec 29, 2017, 3:23 AM**

Sault Ste. Marie's main mall (with Walmart and Sears) is located downtown. Thunder Bay really only has one mall at this point so it's going to survive no matter what.

Capsicum · #**627** Posted **Dec 29, 2017, 3:24 AM**

So what's going to happen to all those malls anchored by Sears Canada?

vid · #**628** Posted **Dec 29, 2017, 3:42 AM**

Our mall already has a plan in place to subdivide the space and court medium sized retailers. They've already got a couple lined up but haven't said who they are.

O-tacular · #**629** Posted **Dec 29, 2017, 8:38 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

You found some wonderful malls there. I used to live near Honeydale (and Cloverdale Mall) but it seemed that in that area Sherway Gardens was the top of the totem poll of malldom.

Does anyone have pictures/recollections of Bridlewood Mall in Scarborough, the mall with a cemetary in the parking lot? Same with Agincourt Mall both of which I recall from my teens.

Edmonton has a cemetery in the parking lot of a Rona.

MolsonExport · #**630** Posted **Dec 29, 2017, 3:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Edmonton has a cemetery in the parking lot of a Rona.

This one? http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e24/francely57/UC/IMG_7364.jpg

Proof Sheet · #**631** Posted **Dec 29, 2017, 5:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Both Bridletowne and Agincourt have redevelopment plans as high rise condo communities.

Thanks for that info. Any links to the official submission drawings. Over the years since the late 80's/early 90's Agincourt Mall has gone downhill.

megadude · #**632** Posted **Dec 29, 2017, 5:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capsicum

So what's going to happen to all those malls anchored by Sears Canada?

Good question. Not long ago it was Target and now it's Sears. Big spaces to fill. Many malls still haven't done anything with the former Target spaces. Gotta be tough.

Burlington Mall is finally replacing Target with an Indigo and a Denninger's Foods of the World.

As for Sears, I found it odd that they were renovating the Sears at Oakville Place for months despite rumours of Sears' impending departure. Apparently it will now be taken up by Saks and one or more notable retailers.

The one at the Shoppes at 404 and Steeles was replaced by Close Out King several months ago.

CanadianCentaur · #**633** Posted **Dec 29, 2017, 7:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpongeG

Prairie Mall in Grande Prairie alberta lost two of its anchors, most recently target. I forget what was the other anchor, I want to say it was sears, sears had moved into its own space independent of a mall a little further down the highway.

That other anchor was Zellers.

manny_santos · #**634** Posted **Dec 29, 2017, 7:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by vid

Our mall already has a plan in place to subdivide the space and court medium sized retailers. They've already got a couple lined up but haven't said who they are.

I'm curious what will become of the Cat Centre in Kingston. They lost Zellers, which became Target, and that now has been repurposed with new retail. In the meantime, the Sears at that mall was just built in 1999 when Sears moved from the since-demolished Kingston Centre. I would not be surprised to see the newer Sears simply demolished and transformed into more parking, as there isn't much other retail that could go there that Kingston doesn't already have somewhere else, or that wouldn't locate in Kingston due to the small size of the market - for example, IKEA or Nordstrom.

That said, some malls such as Yorkdale want to add residential units to their properties. That could be an option for the Cat Centre on a much smaller scale.

Capsicum · #**635** Posted **Dec 29, 2017, 7:25 PM**

Are malls still popular for teenagers and youth to hang out in?

A lot has been talked about in terms of how there's a sharp decline in the "mall rat" stereotype of kids loitering in malls since the 80s and 90s, but a lot of that I see is in American media. Seniors and families with kids still hang out at malls too, especially when temperatures are cold outside. I think Canada's climate helps keep some of the "mall culture" still around.

But then again, people walking around without buying anything or hanging out there for the sake of having a local hangout spot doesn't really help malls stay afloat.

O-tacular · #**636** Posted **Dec 29, 2017, 7:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

This one? http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e24/francely57/UC/IMG_7364.jpg

Dammit you got me again! I fall for it every time!

O-tacular · #**637** Posted **Dec 29, 2017, 7:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

You found some wonderful malls there. I used to live near Honeydale (and Cloverdale Mall) but it seemed that in that area Sherway Gardens was the top of the totem poll of malldom.

Does anyone have pictures/recollections of Bridlewood Mall in Scarborough, the mall with a cemetary in the parking lot? Same with Agincourt Mall both of which I recall from my teens.

Is it the Chopping Mall?

TownGuy · #**638** Posted **Dec 29, 2017, 7:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capsicum

So what's going to happen to all those malls anchored by Sears Canada?

Cobourg location is now Hart which I believe is Quebec based.

http://devandchains.com/anchors-se-ontario-mall/

Proof Sheet · #**639** Posted **Dec 29, 2017, 8:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TownGuy

Cobourg location is now Hart which I believe is Quebec based.

http://devandchains.com/anchors-se-ontario-mall/

My parents live in Cobourg and mentioned this. They don't have a lot of hope for the Cobourg Mall long term.

Proof Sheet · #**640** Posted **Dec 29, 2017, 8:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Is it the Chopping Mall?

Yep,..that's the place. The mall was built in the 70's and I assume there was a church on the property at some point which was removed but the cemetary was retained and the parking lot built around it. A strange situation which I don't think would occur today.