West End Mall discussion

[SpongeG]

it sets it apart - they started out with A&F which its stores are darker than most, than hollister got darker and than they had another chain called ruehl which they closed recently and it was even darker than hollister and it had no windows it was quite weird no wonder it failed

[resetcbu1]

New company buys Halifax Bay store, no details about building’s fate

By ROGER TAYLOR Business Columnist
Wed, May 4 - 7:23 AM

There have been rumours about its sale for the past couple of months, but the deal for the former Hudson’s Bay Co. building in Halifax became official on Monday.

A newly registered Nova Scotia company, Eurofax Properties Inc., bought the former Bay property at 7067 Chebucto Rd. without releasing the terms.

Its address may be Chebucto Road but most Haligonians consider the standalone Hudson’s Bay building to be part of the West End Mall retail strip and the Halifax Shopping Centre Annex that front on Mumford Road and are owned by the Ontario Pension Board.

Eurofax is now evaluating the 150,000-square-foot building, which sits on about 1.1 hectares of land, for both retail and commercial office potential. One of the biggest assets is an 800-vehicle parking garage attached to the building.

There is also potential for new construction on the site but that is unlikely to happen until all other options are evaluated.

While the value of the real estate transaction has not been disclosed, the former Bay is valued for tax purposes at $5.29 million, according to the property assessment.

Halifax lawyer Peter Claman is listed as Eurofax president and secretary but there are a number of unnamed partners in the firm, including well-known Halifax developer and entrepreneur Joe Ramia.

The Bay announced it was closing its Halifax store in February, and it became a reality near the end of April.

Although the deal is now official, neither side was saying much Tuesday.

Ramia declined to comment, but a Hudson’s Bay spokesperson emailed me a brief statement:

"We continually evaluate our portfolio of stores, both existing and new retail opportunities, and decisions to open or close locations — such as our Halifax store — are based on a thorough assessment of a variety of factors including market potential and real estate.

"We look forward to continuing to serve our loyal Halifax-area customers from the . . . Mic Mac Mall location in Dartmouth."

Hudson’s Bay, which also owns the Zellers, Home Outfitters and Fields banners, was originally established by royal charter in 1670, making it Canada’s oldest corporation. After going through a lengthy period of financial trouble, it is now owned by NRDC Equity Partners LLC of New York, which describes itself as an entrepreneurial private investment firm that invests in retail, real estate and consumer-branded businesses.

NRDC Equity Partners also owns Lord & Taylor, the oldest department store in the United States.

Hudson’s Bay made headlines earlier when it announced it was selling leasing rights to more than 200 Zellers locations across Canada to Target Corp., another U.S. retail giant. It also announced that stylish British chain Top Shop will soon be setting up retail operations within select Bay stores.

Eurofax partner Ramia already has a track record of turning around troubled operations.

Besides being known as the developer of the proposed convention centre, hotel and financial centre in downtown Halifax, Ramia has managed to change the former Bayers Road Shopping Centre into primarily a commercial office centre.

The success at Bayers Road has led to speculation Eurofax may try to use the same blueprint for the former Bay building. But it is doubtful Ramia will want to cannibalize a winning formula.

Meanwhile, the Bayers Road location continues to attract business. Premier Darrell Dexter will be on hand today to announce expansion of the TD Insurance Meloche Monnex Inc. call centre there.

will be intersedting to see what's in store.

[icetea93]

Sephora, Hollister to open in Halifax

By JOANN ALBERSTAT Business Reporter
Thu, May 5 - 4:54 AM

A pair of high-end retailers are poised to enter the Nova Scotia market this summer.

The Halifax Shopping Centre announced Wednesday that it has landed cosmetics chain Sephora and youth clothing retailer Hollister.

"It’s definitely a positive direction for us," Linda Townsend, the mall’s marketing manager, said in an interview.

"These retailers will be exclusive in the market. They’re first stores in Atlantic Canada."

Hollister Co., which is part of the American chain Abercrombie & Finch, will be opening its first location east of Ontario. The company has nine stores in Canada.

Sephora, a French company, has 25 stores in Canada, according to its website, from British Columbia to Quebec.

Both stores are scheduled to open in mid-August on the mall’s lower level. The Sephora location will be about 3,100 square feet and Hollister, 4,800 square feet.

The marketing manager said landing the chic retailers isn’t part of an overall plan to make the mall more high-end.

"I don’t think it’s necessarily that. But what we are trying to do is to deliver to our customers the retailers that are in demand elsewhere in Canada and in the United States."

Townsend said the mall hopes to attract more retailers of a similar calibre but she wouldn’t name any.

( jalberstat@herald.ca)

[DigitalNinja]

I have high hopes for The Bay location.

Also, does anyone have any information on the expansion at Bayers Rd. of the TD insurance center?

[Jstaleness]

Originally Posted by DigitalNinja

I have high hopes for The Bay location.

Also, does anyone have any information on the expansion at Bayers Rd. of the TD insurance center?

I know that TD insurance received some sort of a government rebate. I think they planned to hire more employees but I am unaware of any building expansion itself.

[kph06]

The rumor a few years ago was a second free stamding building.

[-Harlington-]

According to my Mom who is going to eastern college on dresden row they are moving into the bay location

It occupys four floors in its current location.

Apparently this is supposed to take place in September .

[Grav]

Originally Posted by -Harlington-

According to my Mom who is going to eastern college on dresden row they are moving into the bay location

It occupys four floors in its current location.

Apparently this is supposed to take place in September .

I knew it! Its going to be a collage. they did that to the Southcenter mall in spryfield too...

And I wouldn't really call the Bayers Road Shopping Center "revived". I think the "village" is quite tacky. But at least its still a public friendly complex I would very interested in seeing pictures of the interior before it went faux Europe though. A shopping mall as old as that must have been a pretty classy place. Im also looking for Interior pictures of the Halifax Shopping Center during the 90's and Mic Mac mall when it first opened in the 70's. They muse be out there somewhere!

In relation to HSC and Hollister, I found Abercrombie to be alot darker and "scented" for lack of a better term. They are also both very loud! Put in some ear plugs with your gas masks.

[cormiermax]

Id also love to see some pics of the HSC from the 90's, if anyone has them please post them!

[alps]

Originally Posted by Grav

Im also looking for Interior pictures of the Halifax Shopping Center during the 90's and Mic Mac mall when it first opened in the 70's. They muse be out there somewhere!

I have a couple of Mic Mac:





These are from a coffee table book by Sherman Hines published 1987. The mall was built 1973 and renovated/expanded in 1978, 1981, 1994 (Toys R Us/general reno), 1998 (Future Shop/Chapters), 1999 (Zellers), and 2005 (Winners/Old Navy)...correct me if I'm wrong on any of this. Not sure if these photos actually show what it looked like at opening.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Back to West End Mall...

My memories of the old Simpson's store include:
- the old fashioned elevators with the dial to show which floor it was on
- the vacuum tubes used to transport documents from department to department - very cool
- a couple of old steam locomotives being stored on the rail siding near the store (anybody remember or have pics of these?) -probably late sixties, but my memory is fuzzy

So, a pic of the old store as it looked in 1941:



source: NS archives http://www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/virtual/E...es.asp?ID=1343

The pic that started this thread:


http://www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/virtual/N...es.asp?ID=1957

And the "missing link", an aerial of the Armdale Rotary from 1966 showing the old building linked to the newer one:


http://www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/virtual/N...es.asp?ID=2452

And a closeup (note that the facing sign reads "Simpsons-Sears" and the sign on the right top just reads "Simpson's"):


Still trying to figure out how much of the old store still exists, if any, as the appearance has been changed dramatically over the years.

Here it is recently on Bing maps:
http://binged.it/ZlU2uW

(Note: I had a much more detailed post written, but for some reason the site logged me out and it was all lost... I'm too tired to go back through it all again )

[Keith P.]

NSARM may have recently uploaded many new old photos of Simpson's, as I do not remember seeing some of these before. I will post a number of these below, starting with exterior shots.

Here it is from a distance, showing that in 1941, west-end Halifax was still the site of agricultural lands:



The south end of the building was served by NSL&P trams:



This is the west side entrance, roughly where the entrance to the Sears Outlet store now is:



I am uncertain as to which entrance this is but it shows the park-like setting that surrounded the store:



Back to the south entrance, people waiting for the tram:


A wider shot of the above:


Not sure if this is the north or east side. Neat Simpson's delivery trucks in their livery of black, cream and brown:


The south side from a different angle:


A wide shot of the west side. Note the water tower:


A wider view including parking areas:


Up next: some interior shots.

[Keith P.]

NSARM also has some shots of the interior, taken during both a fashion show and also prior to Christmas. First, the fashion show. Some of these are quite eye-opening and speak to how much society has changed since the war years.

The matrons sitting, watching and smoking in front of the beauty parlor:


Buy an outfit and pick up all your blackout needs at the same time:


Looks like they moved some of the furniture inventory here to use as seating. I quite remember those structural columns - that place was built to last!


Light fixtures are very art deco:


Apparently they had an eatery called Ye English Inn - must have been before my time as I do not remember this:


Inside the restaurant:


Again:


The fashion show is over, so let's go shopping. How about some ladies shoes?


And some for dad:


The kiddies want to see Toyland, so here we go:


Maybe a tin truck for Timmy:


They want to go see Santa - looks like there's quite the lineup. This is straight out of "A Christmas Story":


That's it! Fascinating to see.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Great pics, Keith! Thanks for posting those...

I'm remembering the columns now - quite substantial for sure.

[cormiermax]

Aren't those columns still there in the Sears bargain centre? Or at least they where up until a few years ago.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by cormiermax

Aren't those columns still there in the Sears bargain centre? Or at least they where up until a few years ago.

Haven't been there in quite awhile... looks like I'm due for a visit to check it out...

[Aya_Akai]

Originally Posted by cormiermax

Aren't those columns still there in the Sears bargain centre? Or at least they where up until a few years ago.

I'm pretty sure (from the couple times I've been out that way recently) that they are, and if I recall correctly, they carried on the same style of structural support columns in the section underneath where sobeys is now, in wal-mart

[hfx_chris]

I believe you guys are correct, towards the front of the store near the registers, those columns are still there. I'm pretty sure the support columns throughout the rest of the store are just typical rectangles, so I'm not sure what that's all about..

However I thought the building was pretty much demolished... the entrance is set so much father back today than in the aerial photo on the last page.

[Grav]

THANK YOU for the old MicMac photo's! Thats amazing. And those without a doubt would have been pictures of the original decor. Great old simpsons sears photo's too. The escalators between the basement and the upper part are still intact behind a wall I am told by staff there.

Now I just need to find some of the long lost downsview mall

[fenwick16]

Although not very exciting, the three storey addition to the old Bay department store at 7067 Chebucto Road is progressing through the approval stages. Details are at this link - http://www.halifax.ca/planning/appli...462Details.php. Amendments to the building by-laws were approved by City Hall on April 1st to allow the development. Once the amendments are in place the Halifax and West Community Council will still have to consider the development specifics.

The lower floors of this former Bay store are currently being renovated and CBC is expected to move in near the end of 2014 (source - allnovascotia.com, City Hall desk, April 2, 2014).

Hopefully CBC (Radio and TV) moving into the former Bay store will mean that the YMCA/CBC development on South Park Street will start in 2015. The current CBC radio building is where the new YMCA facilities will be. The current YMCA on South Park Street will close next month on May 30th (source: http://www.ymcahrm.ns.ca/News/March42014.aspx).