St. Laurent Shopping Centre

[Acajack]

My family bought so much stuff at that Sears store over the years, and a few of us even worked there.

Weird that it looks like something you'd see in a depressed US rust belt city now:

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.422415,-...f5QmaDSjwpIXiEECjLlwQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[eltodesukane]

Originally Posted by Acajack

My family bought so much stuff at that Sears store over the years, and a few of us even worked there.

Weird that it looks like something you'd see in a depressed US rust belt city now:

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.422415,-...f5QmaDSjwpIXiEECjLlwQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

And the other side even less attractive, if not downright scary.
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4217385,...Xx7cQkOGTwZKa5PUSKecQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by eltodesukane

And the other side even less attractive, if not downright scary.
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4217385,...Xx7cQkOGTwZKa5PUSKecQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

That was our go-to entrance, at the lower level. They actually did a good job at the time to make Sears somewhat architecturally interesting. I'm assuming the structure above that entrance was built in the 60s as part of the original mall, or maybe the 70s, because they did not put any of that attention to detail in the 1989(ish) parking structure.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by eltodesukane

And the other side even less attractive, if not downright scary.
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4217385,...Xx7cQkOGTwZKa5PUSKecQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

The deteriorating concrete leaving missing chunks on the base of the pillars seals the deal for me. This place isn't going to be getting prettier anytime soon.

[MichelKazan]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

That was our go-to entrance, at the lower level. They actually did a good job at the time to make Sears somewhat architecturally interesting. I'm assuming the structure above that entrance was built in the 60s as part of the original mall, or maybe the 70s, because they did not put any of that attention to detail in the 1989(ish) parking structure.

I also seem to recall seeing some older photos of the mall where the Sears south entrance (facing the 417) also had one of those structures at the entrance but it was removed when they built the parking structures south of the Sears (late 90s/early 2000s?)

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by MichelKazan

I also seem to recall seeing some older photos of the mall where the Sears south entrance (facing the 417) also had one of those structures at the entrance but it was removed when they built the parking structures south of the Sears (late 90s/early 2000s?)

From Lost Ottawa on Facebook, Queensway side during construction in 1967.

[Acajack]

St Laurent actually had a lot of the 60s-70s concrete brutalist mall grandeur.

That sloping roof in the middle was pretty cool from the inside IIRC.

Like most malls back then they had a fairly elaborate fountain set-up, and of course kids would throw coins in it, which were collected from time to time with the proceeds going to charity.

[acottawa]

What is that bridge like structure on the left?

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by acottawa

What is that bridge like structure on the left?

It's just another canopy, identical to the one facing us.

[J.OT13]

My post from Dead Malls of Canada:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Not quite date, but a shadow of its former self, the St. Laurent Shopping Centre. Once Ottawa's premier mall, it expanded several times, the last time in 1987 when the City built the underground Transitway station at the back, along the Queensway.

In the 2000s, they had major expansion plans that would have secured it's place as the largest mall in Ottawa however, those plans were shelved, leaving the path wide open for Rideau, Bayshore and even Les Promenades in Gatineau to not only catch-up, but surpass it with big name retails new to the Ottawa-Gatineau Market.

After the departure of Sears, Spirit of Halloween made a few appearances and now Urban Behavior taking up a small part of the fallen giant's former space. The Cinema is still around, as a second-run, and rundown, venue. A former "Cyberdome" is now a private college and all the things that made the mall unique (glassy entrances, cool steam-punk balloon art along the skylights, the fountain, interesting and colourful logo...) were all removed over the last two decades, mainly as part of a modernization effort that transformed it into yet another generic dying mall.

Here is it under construction back in 1967, from Lost Ottawa on Facebook:



Entrances, before and after renovations in 2014:

Before


https://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http...jwlfLs4o38AhVSvHIEHYGSCFUQMygAegUIARDGAQ

After:


https://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http...jwlfLs4o38AhVSvHIEHYGSCFUQMygCegUIARDKAQ

Checking out GeoOttawa, it's fascinating to see the evolution of the mall. In 1976, it already had what is not the Toys 'R Us space. I believe it was a Dominion Grocery store at the time. Was that built in 1967?

The rounded part on the Queensway side doesn't show in the u/c pic above (though it might be u/c). Was that the food court, or is it the cinema?

1991, we have the addition of the Shoppers and of course the major expansion linking the transit station and new parking structures. East Side Mario's is u/c.

Most skylights don't appear until 1999, along with the rear parking structure, and 2002 the 45 degrer entrance at Toy's 'R Us .

[Acajack]

Yeah, if IIRC the Sears had three ginormous concrete "portes cochères", over the north, west and south entrances. The east side of Sears was where the entrance was integrated with the main mall concourse, so no canopy there.

All three entrances had high façades made up mostly of glass blocks. They're still there for all three.

[Acajack]

Pretty sure the sloping roof section shown in the old photo had a skylight or skylights of some kind. Right in the middle of it - if my memory serves me right.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Pretty sure the sloping roof section shown in the old photo had a skylight or skylights of some kind. Right in the middle of it - if my memory serves me right.

Pretty faint, but I think you're right. What I meant was the obvious "V" of skylights mostly on the 87' addition and parts of the original rear, as seen on GeoOttawa. Surprised that wasn't built initially.

[Richard Eade]

And each of the 9 skylights had a different light-tube pattern, If I recall. Square, triangle, hexagon, etc.

[Kitchissippi]

The food court is oddly located in this mall and I have a feeling the stairs leading to it are steeper than standard.

If they consolidated most of the food (as well as access to the theatre) closer to the LRT, maybe turn it into some sort of indoor street where feel you're patio dining all year round, they'd have something unique to Ottawa. Sort of like West Edmonton's BRBNst, but maybe make it look like a quintessential Ontario mainstreet. This area could even stay open longer than mall hours and add a bar or two. Could be really popular in the winter for condo dwellers along the LRT line.

[MichelKazan]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

From Lost Ottawa on Facebook, Queensway side during construction in 1967.

That's the one!!!! Looks like, at the time, they only had the one corridor between Sears and The Bay/Freiman's.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by MichelKazan

That's the one!!!! Looks like, at the time, they only had the one corridor between Sears and The Bay/Freiman's.

Yes, I believe that at first it was one single "grand" mall bookended by two large department stores. Though maybe the small corridor leading north towards Coventry Road was always there. It's been there for a very long time anyway.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

The food court is oddly located in this mall and I have a feeling the stairs leading to it are steeper than standard.

If they consolidated most of the food (as well as access to the theatre) closer to the LRT, maybe turn it into some sort of indoor street where feel you're patio dining all year round, they'd have something unique to Ottawa. Sort of like West Edmonton's BRBNst, but maybe make it look like a quintessential Ontario mainstreet. This area could even stay open longer than mall hours and add a bar or two. Could be really popular in the winter for condo dwellers along the LRT line.

I strongly doubt this is something St Laurent would do these days, as there is a considerable and growing amount of concern about riff-raff coming into the property from the OC Transpo station.

[jchamoun79]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Checking out GeoOttawa, it's fascinating to see the evolution of the mall. In 1976, it already had what is not the Toys 'R Us space. I believe it was a Dominion Grocery store at the time. Was that built in 1967?

The rounded part on the Queensway side doesn't show in the u/c pic above (though it might be u/c). Was that the food court, or is it the cinema?

The Toys 'R Us space was a Dominion for many years, until around 1990.

The rounded part was the food court. The movie theatre has always been in the basement.

I've always had a soft spot for St. Laurent as it was the mall we went to the most when I was a kid in the 80s. At the time, it was a busy and beautiful mall, with some unique features and pretty high-end stores (for the time) if my memory serves me right.

It didn't start to go downhill until the mid to late 90s, and it's really sad to see the shape it's in now.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by jchamoun79

It didn't start to go downhill until the mid to late 90s, and it's really sad to see the shape it's in now.

What drives this narrative? It's the same as most any other mall these days. It's not as if the mall is littered with empty storefronts and discount stores or money lenders. Its current state is more a reflection of what retail looks like in the 2020s in general rather than an issue with the mall itself. It's identical to leading malls in smaller centres like Belleville or Kingston, as it should be.