A work in progress: City Centre Mall to undergo redevelopment project
As the downtown landscape changes, Edmonton’s City Centre Mall is adapting to new consumer trends and could be getting a facelift.
Renderings of the potential redevelopment appeared online. When contacted by CTV News Edmonton, a representative from City Centre said the renderings were accidentally released online early and have not been finalized.
Puneeta McBryan, with the Edmonton Downtown Business Association, is excited about the prospective renovations.
“It’s a really critical time,” McBryan said. “It’s City Centre, but also a bunch of other businesses are rethinking how they’re oriented, how they use their platform, and also how to attract tenants.”
The mall lost its anchor tenant Hudson’s Bay last fall.
McBryan added that the experience consumers are looking for when shopping today has completely changed and now malls and shopping centres are trying to adapt.
“The street front and sidewalk experience is huge right now,” she said. “People don’t want to be in enclosed spaces and in mall hallways anymore. They want to feel apart of the action and feel like we are reclaiming public space in a new way.
“We’ve come to realize that we really appreciate that community hub, energetic feeling,” McBryan said.
While many have been complaining about the construction phase downtown is experiencing, McBryan said the payoff will be worth it. Alongside City Centre’s proposed project there is Valley Line LRT construction, Ice District development, and Jasper Avenue revitalization.
“You can expect to see some more creative and innovative uses (of downtown space),” McBryan shared. “You can definitely a much better pedestrian experience across downtown.”
Coun. Scott McKeen says a new look is finally taking shape for Edmonton’s downtown and the facelift for City Centre could help draw further interest into the area.
“We ignored downtown for decades,” McKeen said. “It’s critical for the new owners to open it up.
“Experiential shopping is the new term,” he added. “If you want to sell stuff, you need to give people a reason to come. You can’t just offer them the same stuff they can buy online.”
On top of the shift in consumers’ expectations, McKeen believes downtown is moving towards becoming more of a residential space as more condos and apartment complexes rise up.
“It’s getting better every year,” the city councillor said. “I think if you squint your eyes and look five to 10 years down the road, I think we’re going to have a fantastic downtown.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Happy tears' of victim's sister after prison attack on serial killer Robert Pickton
Cynthia Cardinal said she was 'overwhelmed' with happiness when she received a text message on Monday with the news that serial killer Robert Pickton, who murdered her sister, was attacked in prison. She called it 'karma.'
DEVELOPING Police investigating suspicious substance near U.S. Capitol
U.S. Capitol Police were investigating a suspicious substance Wednesday on a street near the Capitol and where the Republican National Committee headquarters are located, the police said in a statement.
Fish oil supplements may raise risk of stroke, heart issues, study suggests
As an excellent source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, daily fish oil supplements are a popular way to keep the risk of cardiovascular disease at bay.
Montreal photographer captures dramatic Canada goose vs. fox fight on video
A Montreal photographer captured the moment a Canada goose defended itself from a fox at the Botanical Garden.
Thunderstorms with tornado risk in some areas in Ontario, snow elsewhere in Canada
Canadians can expect a mixed bag of weather, with forecasts warning of thunderstorms, heavy rain and snow in some areas across western Canada.
opinion Biden steals debate issue from Trump campaign, makes it his own
Donald Trump had spent weeks needling U.S. President Joe Biden for his refusal to commit to a debate. But Washington political columnist Eric Ham describes how in one fell swoop, Biden ingeniously stole the issue from the Trump campaign and made it his own.
'All hell broke loose': Passengers on Singapore Airlines flight describe nightmare at 37,000 feet
Passengers on a Singapore Airlines flight hit by severe turbulence on Tuesday described a sudden, dramatic drop as 'all hell broke loose' on board the Boeing airliner carrying 229 passengers and crew.
3 people dead after stabbing in Plateau-Mont-Royal: Montreal police
Three people are dead after they were stabbed in Montreal's Plateau-Mont-Royal borough Tuesday evening, police say.
Cybercriminals threaten to leak London Drugs data if it doesn't pay $25M ransom
Last month’s cyberattack on pharmacy and retail chain London Drugs that forced the closure of all its stores in Western Canada was orchestrated by a 'sophisticated group of global cybercriminals' who are demanding a ransom—and say they’ll leak the company’s data if it doesn’t pay up.