Mall Retail (Cambridge Centre, Conestoga, Fairview)

[Section ThirtyOne]

There's a very specific divide between 'outdoors' and 'organized sport'. I haven't seen anything from SportChek indicating they have any aspirations to the former.

I'm not sure what the relationship between Atmosphere and SportChek is, but it exists, and Atmosphere is how SportChek tries to inhabit the 'outdoors' space.

Both are owned by Forzani Group. I've not seen many Atmosphere standalone stores, most are 'store within a store' in a Sportchek location. Kind of the way that the Marshalls/Homesense store on Fairway operates.

[Watdot]

Given the size of the new location, I wouldn't be surprised to see it as a combo Sportchek/Atmosphere store. Anything will be an upgrade on the current space, it is quite shabby as far as Sportchek goes.

I'm guessing the old space will lead to a larger, updated Winners in the back and the front of the current Sportchek will become 2-3 new small stores eventually.

[rangersfan]

Bingeman's is opening a Kingpin at the Cambridge Center, along with laser tag and some VR activities.

http://www.570news.com/2017/11/30/kingpi...ntre-mall/

[DHLawrence]

I was thinking a bowling alley would be a good addition if they get the multi-rink arena built at Cambridge Centre. Wonder if putting it there will interfere with the rink plans though.

[DHLawrence]

Sears heritage façade could be altered as mall finds new use for store

KITCHENER — The heritage façade of the Sears building at Fairview Park mall could change under new plans for the soon-to-be-vacant store.

The 140,000-square-foot Sears building is a major feature of the mall, but it will be vacant within weeks. The Sears store that anchors the mall, and which opened in 1965 before the rest of the mall was completed, is set to shut for good in January.

Sears Canada is winding down its business and the inventory of all the 130 Sears stores across the country is being liquidated.

The building, with its distinctive ribbed, pre-cast concrete exterior, isn't protected with a heritage designation, but is listed on the city's register of properties of heritage value.

Cadillac Fairview, which owns Fairview Park mall and the Sears building, will announce plans for the store early in 2018, said Finley McEwen, the company's senior vice-president of development.

He wouldn't reveal details, but said in the short term, the building would undergo "minor reconfiguration" both inside and out.

[DHLawrence]

I had my hair cut at Cambridge Centre today. According to my barber, Sport Chek is going to be moving to part of the Zellers/Target portion of the mall to allow for the rinks. Marshalls and Chapters/Indigo will be moving in too. A lot of stores in the Zellers end have been closed to make room; I imagine more will go yet.

[CTGal1011]

Nothing in terms of "new" news, but heard reports that Moores and Stars have reported way increased traffic/sales with the closing of Sears.
Moores at Fairway has really done well with Michael's in the building. My husband works at Moores and notes that it is quite a popular spot for some of the men to go when their women folk are looking at craft stuff. The TV being the biggest draw, his humour a close second, obviously.

[KevinL]

Cambridge Centre will be getting a new Indigo store. https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/indigo-to-o...-1.3793773

Also, the Chapters at Gateway Park will be moving to Fairway Road.

[jordan2423]

The Chapters will be opening up under the VIP Cineplex on fairway road.

[rangersfan]

How many retail units are there at the Fairway Cineplex? Last I knew there was a Party City there.

[timio]

I was somewhat confused as to why the theatres were built on the second floor. I guessed the basement might be for the mechanical systems, but this makes more sense.

[KevinL]

Cineplex didn't construct the building themselves, it was done by Cadillac Fairview (who also own the mall) with the idea of a mix of ground floor retail.

[bgb_ca]

Would be nice to have a above/underground passageway to it from the mall but that would never happen

[ijmorlan]

Would be nice to have a above/underground passageway to it from the mall but that would never happen

This city seems allergic to joining buildings together, or indeed providing weather-protected walkways of any kind. A similar situation exists at Conestoga Mall where the movie theatre (same owner, as far as I know) is disconnected from the rest of the mall. And I don’t believe there is a single place where you can board a GRT vehicle without getting rained on: you can’t get from the shelter (if it exists) into the vehicle, and you can’t get to the shelter from any destination. The LRT stops will almost provide the link from the shelter into the vehicle but as far as I know none of them are linked to any destinations, including bus platforms, with the exception of the stop on Caroline which has a cross-platform transfer to bus.

[tomh009]

Which city? Kitchener does have enclosed walkways from Market Square to both the old city hall and to Crown Plaza. That's not many, but greater than zero.