IanO
Superstar
You mean the basements that used to be retail where we asked a similar, but opposite question but 10-15yrs ago?
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Edmonton City Centre Mall (Renovations) | ?m | 2s | LaSalle Investment Management
- Thread starter Daveography
- Start date
You mean the basements that used to be retail where we asked a similar, but opposite question but 10-15yrs ago?
XXIV97!
New Member
City Center does need a lot of work. I graduated last year from MacEwan and I only went to that mall once since it actually felt unsafe taking the pedways. Since I live close to Summerside, I would just stop by Southgate on the way home instead of City Center. While my friends who lived on the north side, they would just stop at Kingsway.
It was the closest mall to the university, but most people still would rather go to other malls. The mall just really doesn't offer anything besides a quick food option, which the university already provides a decent option.
It was the closest mall to the university, but most people still would rather go to other malls. The mall just really doesn't offer anything besides a quick food option, which the university already provides a decent option.
dunno
Active Member
Honestly even just reconfiguring the west parkade such that 80% of the main level is event/entertainment space (like a Rec Room, megalounge, etc) would be great at improving the streetfront and probably make the CRUs fronting 103rd Ave in Stantec more lucrative.
David A
Senior Member
To be fair, this mall was actually built in a time before large underground parkades were common downtown. So the conversion of the basement space to parking made some sense as retrofitting, but not in other ways.
For instance, lest we forget, before that happened, much of that basement space was actually leased to various retailers. I suspect often to tenants who wanted more affordable space, who then were shuffled around wildly to fill empty spaces on the main, second and perennially problematic third level (that probably should have never been added IMO). It turned out to be a terrible management decision for the retailers and did not go well.
However, as long as parking is a more profitable use of space, what is there will likely remain as is. So I don't see the west above ground parkade disappearing until it is lucrative to build something else, maybe in 10 years or so.
IanO
Superstar
IKEA in the Bay with a distribution centre given how much room and loading bays are there.
Garneau2Go
Active Member
Was in Stockholm in August and was able to visit the IKEA in one of the main shopping malls, would absolutely love one in city centre, especially because it's much easier to get to than the Southside
Airboy
Senior Member
When I worked on the Ikea expansion a few years back. I talked with the Ikea Project manager about YEG, He indicated that they would eventually build a new larger facility since Edmonton and Calgary are considered to be quite small facilities currently. The expansions were just to get storage area up to a more usable level. No word on going with a smaller store front version since we lack warehouse facilities as is. And yes he did say if they build it will be in the west more likely.
IanO
Superstar
In all likelihood it would be off of the AHD in the W/NW.
David A
Senior Member
The problem with IKEA is given its location and size of the city, a lot of people from further away don't go there much. It is quite a trek from the north side and even for people in central areas. A smaller central location could easily address that quite nicely.
Putting something in the west end would be a bigger undertaking, but could allow them to cover over half the city, which I suppose is better than what they are doing now with what they have way down on the south side.
Putting something in the west end would be a bigger undertaking, but could allow them to cover over half the city, which I suppose is better than what they are doing now with what they have way down on the south side.
dunno
Active Member
Edmonton likely wouldn't get another store for another decade as it inches towards 2 million. Unless IKEA changes how they do things. But there are a lot of other places that are probably better for them to go first. A 3rd store in Montreal, a 4th full-sized store in the GTA, a store in Kitchener-Waterloo, London, maybe Victoria.
IanO
Superstar
Simons on the 2nd floor, urban IKEA on the main = an ideal outcome?
The_Cat
Senior Member
Perhaps something intermediate like a Marshall’s or Homesense.
Gronk!
Senior Member
I would like to see a Home Hardware, Home Depot or a Canadian Tire in the Bay space. We've been crying for a downtown hardware store since WW Arcade closed.
Airboy
Senior Member
There is new serviced Land being created in the WSW corner of St Alberta Trail and Henday.
Airboy
Senior Member
As someone that drives to the south side (south of Ikea from St Albert.). the drive is way easier and as much as 20 min faster than when I drove downtown.