St. Laurent Shopping Centre

[DogsWithJobs]

Not that I think it would be very effective land use next to the lrt, but I was wondering if there would be a business case to provide park and ride space on the far side of the mall that would force people to walk through and create foot traffic inside.

Park and rides take a lot of space for not that many users, so the number of potential customers may not be worth it, but the mall has so much unused parking that at least it would be generating something rather than sitting empty.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by DogsWithJobs

Not that I think it would be very effective land use next to the lrt, but I was wondering if there would be a business case to provide park and ride space on the far side of the mall that would force people to walk through and create foot traffic inside.

Park and rides take a lot of space for not that many users, so the number of potential customers may not be worth it, but the mall has so much unused parking that at least it would be generating something rather than sitting empty.

It depends on how many people are willing to park far then walk a long way to transit. I won’t be surprised that some people, when given even the slightest inconvenience like this, will opt to drive the whole way instead.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by DogsWithJobs

Not that I think it would be very effective land use next to the lrt, but I was wondering if there would be a business case to provide park and ride space on the far side of the mall that would force people to walk through and create foot traffic inside.

Park and rides take a lot of space for not that many users, so the number of potential customers may not be worth it, but the mall has so much unused parking that at least it would be generating something rather than sitting empty.

I believe that is the current practice. St Laurent doesn’t seem to make any effort to discourage far side parking.

[OTownandDown]

I took a visit to St. Laurent before Christmas and boy was it ever bad. A few interesting low-rent/homemade stores mixed with Bluenotes and Joe Fresh. Capped off by a shopping trip to whatever...Sears has become. Cheap polyester clothes in heaps. It was a bit of a flashback moment though.

[ogbenp]

I always thought Harls and Harley were the same guy on two different accounts lol. Speedy recovery Harley!

[le calmar]

Originally Posted by Harley613

Today's empty store count: 16

More than half the stores are low rent now.

I was there just before the holidays and it was kinda sad to see. I was surprised to see the movie theatre is still around. Looks like the place to go for a subpar movie experience. I think the relative proximity to Rideau Centre doesn’t work in favour of St. Laurent. Seems like Bayshore is on a different trajectory with a Uniqlo opening in the spring. There’s about 4 vacant spaces there right now.

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by le calmar

I was there just before the holidays and it was kinda sad to see. I was surprised to see the movie theatre is still around. Looks like the place to go for a subpar movie experience. I think the relative proximity to Rideau Centre doesn’t work in favour of St. Laurent. Seems like Bayshore is on a different trajectory with a Uniqlo opening in the spring. There’s about 4 vacant spaces there right now.

6 vacant spaces at Bayshore this morning, excluding the Uniqlo under construction.

[lrt's friend]

I only saw 4 empty stores at Billings Bridge today. Pretty good for not a top tier mall.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by OTownandDown

I took a visit to St. Laurent before Christmas and boy was it ever bad. A few interesting low-rent/homemade stores mixed with Bluenotes and Joe Fresh. Capped off by a shopping trip to whatever...Sears has become. Cheap polyester clothes in heaps. It was a bit of a flashback moment though.

Joe Fresh is still there? Where did it move to?

Originally Posted by DogsWithJobs

Not that I think it would be very effective land use next to the lrt, but I was wondering if there would be a business case to provide park and ride space on the far side of the mall that would force people to walk through and create foot traffic inside.

Park and rides take a lot of space for not that many users, so the number of potential customers may not be worth it, but the mall has so much unused parking that at least it would be generating something rather than sitting empty.

I suggested creating a park and ride at Conventry Stadium to Rawlson King and Tierney back in 2022. No response from either. I guess park-and-rides, free park-and-rides, are a luxury only reserved for outer-Greenbelt suburbanites.

[DogsWithJobs]

I believe the city identified the stadium for redevelopment in the mid future, so I can see their hesitation to having it function as a park and ride.
We know that once you give people something it is harder to take it away. I'd love to see it not be a sea of parking personally, but I also recognize that it currently serves no one by sitting empty.

The fact that anyone wanting to walk to the LRT station at Tremblay has to cross a massive empty parking lot and 17 lanes of traffic is in my opinion a failure for a transit station and intercity rail hub.

Personally, once I need a car just to access our transit system I may as well not use transit.

I have less of an issue suggesting a private entity use its unused parking to promote business and serve our transit in some way, in regards to the mall, but the city can and should use this space better in my opinion. If it was to be used for park and ride space it should be made clear it is temporary.

I guess this is getting a bit off topic from the mall though.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I suggested creating a park and ride at Conventry Stadium to Rawlson King and Tierney back in 2022. No response from either. I guess park-and-rides, free park-and-rides, are a luxury only reserved for outer-Greenbelt suburbanites.

That wouldn't be a park and ride; that would be a park and hike and ride.

[le calmar]

Originally Posted by Harley613

6 vacant spaces at Bayshore this morning, excluding the Uniqlo under construction.

Yeah I was there today and you counted right. The one near the Winners is harder to see. Do you know what’s going where there used to be a cake machine?

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by DogsWithJobs

I believe the city identified the stadium for redevelopment in the mid future, so I can see their hesitation to having it function as a park and ride.
We know that once you give people something it is harder to take it away. I'd love to see it not be a sea of parking personally, but I also recognize that it currently serves no one by sitting empty.

The fact that anyone wanting to walk to the LRT station at Tremblay has to cross a massive empty parking lot and 17 lanes of traffic is in my opinion a failure for a transit station and intercity rail hub.

Personally, once I need a car just to access our transit system I may as well not use transit.

I have less of an issue suggesting a private entity use its unused parking to promote business and serve our transit in some way, in regards to the mall, but the city can and should use this space better in my opinion. If it was to be used for park and ride space it should be made clear it is temporary.

I guess this is getting a bit off topic from the mall though.

If they had a plan, I'd understand, but they've done nothing with the parking lot even with the Baseball Stadium and its tenants needing support, the housing crisis, they City's financial situation.

But yeah, making a deal with St. Laurent, similar to the one they have with Place d'Orleans (on the other side of the mall, of course, which dosen't make it much better than the Baseball Stadium situation if it was a PnR) could be valuable.

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

That wouldn't be a park and ride; that would be a park and hike and ride.

[kingedward]

I was at St Laurent earlier this week and was struck by the number of stores selling cellphone cases, discount clothes and other cheap merchandise — it definitely feels like the mall is on the decline. Despite the rest of the shopping centre closing at 9, Hudson's Bay is only open until 7. Staff were starting the shut down routine at 6:45.

The mall was actually pretty full, but I’m willing to bet some of that was the -18 weather outside rather than the retail experience.

I also took some photos of how Urban Behavior is using the old Sears space. The store is just occupying one level, and not completely. There are lots of unoccupied little alcoves around the periphery and the escalators are blocked off.

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[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by kingedward

I was at St Laurent earlier this week and was struck by the number of stores selling cellphone cases, discount clothes and other cheap merchandise — it definitely feels like the mall is on the decline. Despite the rest of the shopping centre closing at 9, Hudson's Bay is only open until 7. Staff were starting the shut down routine at 6:45.

The mall was actually pretty full, but I’m willing to bet some of that was the -18 weather outside rather than the retail experience.

I also took some photos of how Urban Behavior is using the old Sears space. The store is just occupying one level, and not completely. There are lots of unoccupied little alcoves around the periphery and the escalators are blocked off.

IMG_0698

This Urban Behaviour/Old Sears? I don't remember this. I remember the linoleum, but not the cathedral-esque ceiling.

[kingedward]

Yep, that’s the Urban Behavio(u)r. The zig zag ceiling bit is on the parking garage side of the store. Here’s a pic of Sears using the full area during their closing sale.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by kingedward

Yep, that’s the Urban Behavio(u)r. The zig zag ceiling bit is on the parking garage side of the store. Here’s a pic of Sears using the full area during their closing sale.

I spent countless hours at Sears as a kid, so I'm surprised I don't remember this. I should go in sometime soon to job my memory.

[Harley613]

Two more bit the dust this week. I'm pretty sure the still busy food court and the non-traditional tenants (two diploma mills, offices, professional services, gym) are all that are keeping this mall open. Any bets on which Bay will close first, St. Laurent or Place d'Orleans? You could shoot a cannon without risk of injury in either at any hour of the day lately.

[SL123]

I wish Decathlon and Adonis where at St-Laurent Mall close to the LRT. Those two could've saved that Mall IMO

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by SL123

I wish Decathlon and Adonis where at St-Laurent Mall close to the LRT. Those two could've saved that Mall IMO

I remember a grocery store at St. Laurent! It was in the De Serres space in the mid-2000s. I remember it being a specialty grocer, maybe the same one that was in Bayshore around that time in the post YIG/pre-Les Ailes de la Mode era? Or, wait a minute...was the specialty grocer at Bayshore post Les Ailes, but only on the first floor that they built for Les Ailes?