Rideau Centre Expansion | Completed

[Mille Sabords]

By the way, it's time for Forever 21 to reopen their street doors... Hope someone's reminding them. And looking for Shoppers to do the same any day now.

[kevinbottawa]

Originally Posted by Mille Sabords

By the way, it's time for Forever 21 to reopen their street doors... Hope someone's reminding them. And looking for Shoppers to do the same any day now.

I've been thinking the same thing every time I walk past the mall. I imagine the mall management will make them open up those entrances. Forever 21 doesn't even have a working cash register on the ground floor anymore. The downstairs cash area is basically a storage area. Even if you come in on the ground floor you have to go upstairs to pay.

[kevinbottawa]

Score Pizza is opening today at the Rideau Centre. Looks good from the street.

[DEWLine]

The idea of restoring the Rideau Cinemas is dead, isn't it?

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by DEWLine

The idea of restoring the Rideau Cinemas is dead, isn't it?

Long dead I think. Simons is in the old theatre space and the Rideau Centre is too close to the glebe for another multiplex-type theatre.

[Harley613]

Simons is in the old theatre space? I thought it was still vacant...

[Vanier]

Originally Posted by Harley613

Simons is in the old theatre space? I thought it was still vacant...

It is still vacant. Redevelopment plans are currently being considered for the space.

[MichelKazan]

Sunrise Records moving to the (much smaller) former Stokes holiday store between Roots and Skechers in the expansion.

[kevinbottawa]

Originally Posted by MichelKazan

Sunrise Records moving to the (much smaller) former Stokes holiday store between Roots and Skechers in the expansion.

Along with the former Shoppers Drug Mart that'll leave a large space to fill. Maybe we'll finally be getting one of the Japanese retailers- Miniso, Muji, Uniqlo. So far they've only focused on Toronto and Vancouver.

[citydwlr]

Originally Posted by kevinbottawa

Along with the former Shoppers Drug Mart that'll leave a large space to fill. Maybe we'll finally be getting one of the Japanese retailers- Miniso, Muji, Uniqlo. So far they've only focused on Toronto and Vancouve.

I'd like to see any one of those at the Rideau Centre. But, based on what I've seen for Uniqlo in other cities (Toronto, London, New York), they typically require 2-floors. I'm not sure there is space like that available at the Rideau Centre currently. With that said, apparently Mall operators in Ottawa have contacted the company to open a location here...

Uniqlo, for its part, has been peppered by requests to open from mall operators in other Canadian cities, including Montreal, Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa, and may consider bringing in Fast Retailing's other brands like GU, said Hayashi.

[Source]

I would love to see Muji open at Rideau, but I think they should first open a pop-up like they did in Vancouver to gauge interest.

I think Miniso has a better chance of making it in Ottawa though, IMO...

[jchamoun79]

Originally Posted by kevinbottawa

Along with the former Shoppers Drug Mart that'll leave a large space to fill.

I'm pretty sure Score Pizza is in the former Shoppers space.

[Kitchissippi]

I'd love to see Uniqlo in the old Holt Renfrew store to give the Sparks street area a shot in the arm. If Muji moved into 240 Sparks as well it would turn the place into a magnet (a Little Japan?)

Ate at Score Pizza last week, it's pretty good. I hope they do well but it seemed a bit quiet.

[kevinbottawa]

Originally Posted by jchamoun79

I'm pretty sure Score Pizza is in the former Shoppers space.

Are they using the full space it? It looks pretty small.

[Vixx]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

I'd love to see Uniqlo in the old Holt Renfrew store to give the Sparks street area a shot in the arm. If Muji moved into 240 Sparks as well it would turn the place into a magnet (a Little Japan?)

Ate at Score Pizza last week, it's pretty good. I hope they do well but it seemed a bit quiet.

Completely agree. Having the likes of Uniqlo and co coming to town and setting up shop on Sparks would signal confidence in the market and would up the fashion profile of the city a little bit. I won't complain if any one of those Japanese brands, if they decide to come to Ottawa, setup in Rideau. It makes sense from their perspective.

[J.OT13]

Two and a half years too late, but here's a timelapse of the west skywalk demolition.

• Video Link

[Harley613]

Would I ever like to see a timelapse of the old covered sidewalks being taken out. It's hard to even find a good picture of them now. I remember them, I think they got taken out in 1992, long before digital cameras.

[kevinbottawa]

Paramount is opening soon. When you walk by you can see that the renovations are almost done.

[Harley613]

This will help to mitigate the lack of Lebanese cuisine within a 100 foot radius.

[ars]

Originally Posted by Harley613

This will help to mitigate the lack of Lebanese cuisine within a 100 foot radius.

Paramount is a welcome addition though, it's a proper restaurant unlike most Lebanese/shawarma places(which are basically just fast food joints).

I just wish that there was access from inside the Rideau Center. The fact that Joeys, Scores and Paramount all are inside the mall but only have exterior entrances seems like a massive oversight to me.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by ars

Paramount is a welcome addition though, it's a proper restaurant unlike most Lebanese/shawarma places(which are basically just fast food joints).

I just wish that there was access from inside the Rideau Center. The fact that Joeys, Scores and Paramount all are inside the mall but only have exterior entrances seems like a massive oversight to me.

I don't know what the layout is, and I understand why retail outlets resist front and back entrances, but I don't see how it would be much of a problem for a restaurant.