First it was Hanger's Fashion Warehouse closing and now it is Boutique la Femme closing. Lorenza Fashion is moving within the mall.
Is this all to accommodate Target as it takes over Zellers there?
The possible announcement of a movie theatre chain opening on the Ikea site could affect the Empire Theatre at Grant Park.
Speaking of theatres, the news nationally that IMAX will be building a digital system to be able to show 3D films. It remains to be seen how this affects the downtown Portage Place Imax Theatre.
In terms of the Grant Park Mall, the issue of remaining an enclosed mall will have to be looked at. It has some strong anchor tenants in McNally Robinson, Safeway and Target.
However, Target is certainly going to want a bigger location and the mall could certainly accommodate that but it might mean getting rid of the enclosed mall, theatre and restaurants.
Can this formula work? Well, it did for the Charleswood Centre Shopping Plaza. When Zellers left the mall to move ito Walmart's old location at Grant Park, the mall owners decided to do a stripmall box store format. They landed some good anchor stores and the last vacancy in the mall filled up in the last months. H&R Block opened in the space between Blockbuster and Sushi Park.
One development seems obvious and that is Grant Park is less likely to pull national and international retailers with its present set up of an enclosed mall. Now it seems that they are having a hard time holding on to local ones as well.
2 comments:
Charleswood Centre? You mean Forest Park Mall?? Okay, I may live in the past just a little bit.
I hope it doesn't go the stripmall style - with our winters I like to be able to park once and then take my jacket off inside. I wouldn't dream of heading to a strip mall, like the monstrosity at McGillivray in winter for clothing - who wants to get all bundled up, strip down to try something on, pile all the winter gear back on and then head to the next store to start it all over again?
This may be a female only issue as I'm pretty sure men just hold up an item of clothing, check the tag, say "yup, I'm a size ###" and then head to the till ;)
So how is the progress of this project? The IMAX digital theater system would be a major attraction in that place. However, you're still right. The other theaters in the shopping plaza might get affected! Well, the competition will depend on how they would promote themselves.
Larissa Dobbin
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