[WaterlooInvestor]

-

[WaterlooInvestor]

=

[kitchener-lrt]

Construction's really coming along. The Old Navy building looks sweet. Looks like a great place to put a RT station.

[WaterlooInvestor]

-

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

Food Court Interior Conceptual Drawing

http://www.ivanhoecambridge.com/en-CA/HomePage/index.aspx#/en-CA/Development/DevelopmentProjects

This is a conceptual drawing of Conestoga Mall's new 700-seat food court. Mall owner, Ivanhoe Cambridge, has posted this image on their website regarding details about the mall's expansion.
http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/6676/1insidefoodcourtvo7.jpg

[kitchener-lrt]

^^ Welcome to SSP Local: Waterloo Region.

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

I found another conceptual drawing of Conestoga Mall, this time from the architect firm overseeing the project - Pellow + Associates. It's the renovated main entrance to the mall, showing one of the restaurant components to the right (in this picture, it is a Moxie's Classic Grill, giving an idea of the restaurant tenants they hope to attract). As you can also see by the picture, the facade compliments that of the new Old Navy store that opened in Summer 2007. It also looks like they have thrown around the idea of moving around some of the current tenants such as the Gap to the front of the mall to give them more appeal. This is currently right where the TD Canada Trust branch is.

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/5682/mainentrancees1.jpg

[WaterlooInvestor]

-

[waterloowarrior]

there's an application I think on the Region's site for a new entrance to the Mall from King Street

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

there's an application I think on the Region's site for a new entrance to the Mall from King Street

You're right waterloowarrior. Conestoga Mall wants to add a new right-in, right-out entrance to the mall, almost across from the BMW dealership, and keep the current main signalized entrance by Wendy's as well. It will be similar to what Fairview Park has right when you come off Highway 8 and can go right into the mall towards Sears and Wal-Mart, and also have the option to turn right in further up Fairway Road at their main signalized entrance by Leons.

Conestoga Mall (Ivanhoe Cambridge) and the City of Waterloo will also be replacing the horrible intersection by Pier 1 and CIBC with a round-a-bout this summer. It will be through a unique partnership with Ivanhoe Cambridge and the City of Waterloo since this intersection is on both the mall's property and city's. More or less it looks right now like (according to the City) the mall will be paying for the round-a-bout construction with the city in turn making special zoning/bi-law arrangements for the expansion. This is sort of like the planning concept known as "bonus zoning". There are minutes in a City of Waterloo council meeting that confirm both of these transportation improvements, plus I saw someone from MTE doing surveying and staking out the area for the new entrance a few days ago. If I can find the council minutes again, I will post them in this thread.

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

I found the City of Waterloo Council Minutes from August 27, 2007. They outline the plans for the round-a-bout, and also about adding another intersection with King St.


Here is what the Council Minutes outline:

******

1) notwithstanding any previous Development Agreement condition, that Council by resolution, adopt in principle the following conditions to be integrated into an amending Supplemental Development Agreement prepared to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor:

a) Within two months of the issuance of a building permit for the expansion of the shopping centre, that Ivanhoe Cambridge enter into an External Works Agreement with the City to the satisfaction of the Director of Engineering and Construction and the City’s Solicitor for the construction of a traffic roundabout to replace the existing Kraus Drive/Conestoga Road two-way intersection paid by Ivanhoe Cambridge and that the works be substantially completed by November 1, 2008;

b) Prior to the issuance of a building permit for the expansion of the shopping centre, that Ivanhoe Cambridge provide the City a Letter of Credit to the satisfaction of the City’s Solicitor and Director of Engineering and Construction for the cost of the required traffic improvements with contingency and design fees for a new roundabout intersection and right in-right out access from King Street;

c) Following the completion and functional operation of all traffic improvements to the satisfaction of the Director of Engineering and Construction, that Ivanhoe Cambridge agree to request in writing to the City, a final occupancy inspection for any new retail commercial floor space excluding the Bay store and to receive in writing approval from the City’s Chief Building Official in consultation with the Director of Engineering and Construction

******

[waterloowarrior]

nice find... that intersection can be really tough when trying to turn left or go straight from the mall

[wloostor]

Excited about the expansion plans of Conestoga Mall, but still can't agree with a grocery store (Zehrs, nothing against them) inside a Mall. It was a long time coming and the Ivanhoe is finally acting on this.

Where is Walmart coming in Woolwich township ?

Heard the township approved plans for a Walmart in St. Jacobs area and the City of Waterloo approved transferring power for the project.

Anyone following it ?

[rapid_business]

There is a separate thread for the Walmart proposal... :hell: (not sure what the link is for it...)

Glad they are adding a roundabout at said intersection. It's a disaster as it stands right now.

[Tony]

Excited about the expansion plans of Conestoga Mall, but still can't agree with a grocery store (Zehrs, nothing against them) inside a Mall. It was a long time coming and the Ivanhoe is finally acting on this.


What's wrong with having a grocery store as part of the mall? It helps incredibly with the vitality of the mall and is an excellent anchor. Smaller malls (yes considerable smaller ones than Conestoga), have died since their grocery store moved out all across Ontario. (not saying Conestoga cannot survive without Zehrs, but it certainly is an integral part of the mall's clientel.)

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

I was going through my development/construction pictures on my computer and found these that I took of The Bay store back in the fall before it was all torn up. Looks nothing like this anymore!


The Bay Expansion, September 2007

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/9646/september2007amodifiedcj2.jpg

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/3641/september20074modifiedft9.jpg

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/2589/september20073modifiedbd4.jpg

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

Just got back from the mall and cut through The Bay to see the progress.

Well, right by the temporary entrance they set up onto King Street, four panels of renderings of the new store were posted. These renderings include both inside and elevations outside. I wish I could share them here, but you will all have to go there and check it out.

Anyways, the inside of the store will look really sleek and modern. Looks like they followed an architectural theme of lines and squares. The inside of the store reminded me a lot of the Sears Canada flagship store at the Eaton Centre, with smaller specialty brand-name clothing sections or "shops" set out along the perimeter of the store.

The exterior is perhaps the most outside of the box department store design I have seen. Foremost, looks like there is going to be 3 large and tall windmills outside facing King Street. I don't know if they will provide wind power to the store, but would be a really cool idea...;)

The elevation facing the expressway will have the most variety in design - mainly stucco and metal. The 3 garage doors will be checkered, there will be some black mosaic design thing by the store entrance. Part of the stucco exterior will have The Bay "B" logo scattered across it in 3-D. Going back to the elevation for King Street, the side furthest north will have some sort of tall spire. And that crazy angular corner will obviously have the store sign on it.

The store is really progressing and coming along. Looks like they are waiting for this phase of the expansion to finish before they move on to the main phase of the project. Aside, a large portion of the front parking lot has been fenced off for the construction of the new vehicular entrance from King Street. Anyways, it is lookin' good! :tup:

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

This was just recently posted on Conestoga Mall's website regarding the expansion, and more specifically, the timing and phases of the current construction.

First of all, here is the Site Work Schedule drawing that was posted:

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/5126/phasingschedulely6.png

Also, here is the estimated timing schedule of the remainder of the expansion/redevelopment project, also posted on the mall's website:

Now through October 31: Site works (see Map)
June through Fall 2008: truck court B and G wing exterior corridor
Mid September 2008: Bay Grand Opening
October 2008 to October 2009: Construction of 30 new stores, 2 restaurants, new food court
January 2009 to October 2009: Renovation of existing mall
October 2009: Grand Opening of Expansion

[KWnGTA]

wow looks like there's a lot of work left to be done. I'm excited!

[TripleQ]

That seems like a pretty bizarre roundabout with that second right hand turn lane into the mall, especially with the new entrance which should draw a lot of that traffic.

[gghtransit]

People following this project will find this interesting, although I'm a little surprised this didn't get posted here yet...it's the floor plan of the finished Conestoga Mall expansion, although the plan doesn't include the modifications to the parking and driveway entrance areas. As you can see, the food court isn't just getting a new entrance feature, the entire food court is actually moving to the new addition adjacent to Galaxy Cinemas between the Bay and Zehrs

http://conestoga.shopping.ca/cambridge/images/gallery/cns/ConestogaMallSitemap.jpg

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

The evolution has begun...

This is what it now looks like, heading out the east doors of The Bay, towards Galaxy and the rear of Zehrs...

Conestoga Mall Main Expansion: July 19, 2008
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/6387/p7200112qu1.jpg

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/8307/p7200113hl6.jpg


:banana: Finally! Can't wait to see the main phase begin.

[jcollins]

I've got to admit, thinking about it now, Im a little surprised they didnt somehow connect Galaxy to the Mall. Am I the only one?

[Section ThirtyOne]

I've got to admit, thinking about it now, Im a little surprised they didnt somehow connect Galaxy to the Mall. Am I the only one?

You're not the only one. Even some sort of covered walkway would have been nice. Perhaps they did this to protect the food concessions at the theatre? The new food court is not that far away...

[rapid_business]

And the fact that businesses (aside from the food industry) try to avoid multiple entrances. So connecting to the main entrance would have been tricky. It's a short walk, it'll work fine.

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

Waterloo rejects proposal for wind turbines at mall

August 08, 2008
Raveena Aulakh
RECORD STAFF

WATERLOO

A retailing giant's hopes of setting a green example in Waterloo have been nipped in the bud.

A city committee has rejected an application by The Bay at Conestoga Mall to install wind towers, saying the city has no policy to deal with alternate energy. (Aside: WTF??)

The Hudson Bay Co. wanted to install two 17-metre tall wind turbines outside the store to help make it more environmentally friendly.

The plan was to make The Bay in Waterloo the first green store in the country, Hillary Marshall, a spokesperson for the company, said yesterday. :D

The turbines would have cost about $35,000 each and generated a relatively small amount of energy.

The Conestoga Mall store is undergoing major renovations, including the addition of a white roof -- to prevent heat from building up on the tar roof -- among other green features.

But there won't be any wind towers for now.

The company will appeal the decision to the Ontario Municipal Board, Marshall said.

"We were surprised and disappointed with the decision," she said. "We had thought that Waterloo is an environmentally friendly and progressive place."

City development planner Joel Cotter said that under the zoning bylaw, the 17-metre towers "would have been an accessory structure, and those are allowed only up to four metres in height."

The Bay applied for a variance, which the committee of adjustment rejected. "It wasn't a minor variance," Cotter said.

There were also safety concerns about the wind turbines. The towers were to be installed in front of the store, where pedestrians might be hurt if ice built up on the spinning blades and fell, Cotter said.

"We support green technology but we have to look into public safety, too."

The city is now reviewing its official plan and considering policy changes that could lead to regulations on alternate forms of energy, said Diane Freeman, the acting mayor.

Besides wind towers, the study is looking at solar panels and green roofs. Freeman said the city has to think about the impact of certain green technology on the public.

"We don't know if people will like the noise they'll make or the look," she said of the turbines. (ASIDE: Again, WTF? :shrug:)

The Hudson Bay Co., which owns Zellers, already has wind turbines at a Zellers store in Waterdown near Hamilton.

Company officials are inviting the committee of adjustment and Waterloo councillors to look at the Zellers store to see the positive impact the wind turbines have had on the community.

Customers have appreciated the green technology and schoolchildren have taken field trips to the store to learn how the wind turbines work, Marshall said.

************************************************************************************************************************

Good! I am so glad HBC appealed this decision to the OMB. I support them fully, and hope they win. The City of Waterloo, supposedly named as the "Smartest City" in the world in 2007, really made an unwise decision here. For once, I am disappointed in my own City... :yuck:

EDIT: After doing some more searching after this post, I just found this link to a news story from CTV Southwestern Ontario's newscast on Thursday, August 7, 2008. Check it out: http://www.southwesternontario.ctv.ca/news.php?id=2381&PHPSESSID=c7146aac3ddfee1811ed034d05a2afea (the video works in Internet Explorer...had trouble with FireFox) I think that I will write to my city councilors and Mayor over this one.

[Section ThirtyOne]

Good! I am so glad HBC appealed this decision to the OMB. I support them fully, and hope they win. The City of Waterloo, supposedly named as the "Smartest City" in the world in 2007, really made an unwise decision here. For once, I am disappointed in my own City... :yuck:

EDIT: After doing some more searching after this post, I just found this link to a news story from CTV Southwestern Ontario's newscast on Thursday, August 7, 2008. Check it out: http://www.southwesternontario.ctv.ca/news.php?id=2381&PHPSESSID=c7146aac3ddfee1811ed034d05a2afea (the video works in Internet Explorer...had trouble with FireFox) I think that I will write to my city councilors and Mayor over this one.

Very disappointing. After seeing the video of the Waterdown store, these wind turbines are not even as large as I was expecting. They don't appear to be much taller than some of the large light standards in the parking lot. :rolleyes: The comment on public safety by the city gave me a good chuckle as well.

It seems that the city is trying to protect zoning bylaws and rejected the variance in order to avoid setting precedent for future variance applications. I can sort of understand where they are coming from, but agree that they need to find a way to get this approved. Hopefully the OMB overrides their ruling.

[WatDot]

It seems that the city is trying to protect zoning bylaws and rejected the variance in order to avoid setting precedent for future variance applications. I can sort of understand where they are coming from, but agree that they need to find a way to get this approved.

I think that's the point. I too am for wind power, but this has bigger implications. If they let one business do this where does it stop. Then every home wants to have one. Who regulates these wind turbines? New City/Municipal departments will need to be established. There's a lot to be considered here.

The City is taking a cautious approach. I hope they examine the issue further. Perhaps a notice of delay would have been more appropriate than a flat out "no".

But don't get me wrong... I hope the Region moves on wind power as alternative power sources soon.

[gghtransit]

I think that's the point. I too am for wind power, but this has bigger implications. If they let one business do this where does it stop. Then every home wants to have one. Who regulates these wind turbines? New City/Municipal departments will need to be established. There's a lot to be considered here.

The City is taking a cautious approach. I hope they examine the issue further. Perhaps a notice of delay would have been more appropriate than a flat out "no".

But don't get me wrong... I hope the Region moves on wind power as alternative power sources soon.

Normally I would agree with you, but in this case their Zellers store in Burlington already has an identical turbine setup as what they are proposing for the Bay at Conestoga Mall, so this isn't some new idea.

Now, I'm not saying the city should go willy-nilly approving it and then let any fly-by-night person to put one up, but what should happen IMO is approve it in principle until some sort of regulation are in place, but that's not what happened...they denied the request and now it's going to the OMB.

[WatDot]

Normally I would agree with you, but in this case their Zellers store in Burlington already has an identical turbine setup as what they are proposing for the Bay at Conestoga Mall, so this isn't some new idea.

Now, I'm not saying the city should go willy-nilly approving it and then let any fly-by-night person to put one up, but what should happen IMO is approve it in principle until some sort of regulation are in place, but that's not what happened...they denied the request and now it's going to the OMB.

Agreed. In principle would of worked, deferring the final decision until they (Council) obtained more information would have been most appropriate.

The Bay is looking good at Conestoga Mall as a side note. No pictures, but they are putting a bit more money into it than normal it seems. Building details and landscaping.

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

Just went by the new Bay store today, and the wind turbines are up!!! :D
Anyone know what happened? Did the city cave or did HBC win at the OMB?


The new store looks really slick by the way. You can see right inside now when you are in the old store as the hoarding has somewhat been taken down. I looks just as good, if not better than the Bay stores in the Toronto area. One of the sales associates was saying that the new store will have high end brands that even the flagship Queen Street or Yorkdale stores don't even have. :tup:

For all of you bargain hunters, they are marking down and selling off all the merchandise in the old store before it closes for good on Sunday, so head on down and check it out.

[rapid_business]

come on...brands that the flagship store doesn't even carry??? before the reno, hte selection for suits and shirts was crap...i hope it improves, but come on... Waterloo isn't becoming the 'new' flagship store

[notmyfriends]

Those windmills are so big and scary, i don't feel safe walking by there!

[Waterlooson]

Those windmills are so big and scary, i don't feel safe walking by there!

Post some photos - please!

[notmyfriends]

Post some photos - please!

Sorry, it was sarcasm... you'd barely even notice the tiny things if you didn't know to look for them. Hardly look effective for anything to me, but then I'm not a scientician.

[waterloowarrior]

Just went by the new Bay store today, and the wind turbines are up!!! :D
Anyone know what happened? Did the city cave or did HBC win at the OMB?


The new store looks really slick by the way. You can see right inside now when you are in the old store as the hoarding has somewhat been taken down. I looks just as good, if not better than the Bay stores in the Toronto area. One of the sales associates was saying that the new store will have high end brands that even the flagship Queen Street or Yorkdale stores don't even have. :tup:

For all of you bargain hunters, they are marking down and selling off all the merchandise in the old store before it closes for good on Sunday, so head on down and check it out.


ctv news has the story
http://www.swo.ctv.ca/news.php?id=2682

[kidgibnick]

Does anyone know what other proposed stores are going in the mall aside from The Bay expansion?

[myfaceisonfire]

I was at the mall last week and took this shot, not the best since it was pouring rain at the time but it gives you an idea of the size of these things.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3008/2860871395_25afc097d9_b.jpg

[jcollins]

Wow...for the size of those, I cant believe the Bay put up such a fuss about them

[gghtransit]

Does anyone know what other proposed stores are going in the mall aside from The Bay expansion?

:haha: I know GRT drivers are going to get a driver's room accessible to the outside. Rumour has it that it will be located beside the TD Bank (but we'll have to wait to be sure).

Sorry, no customers permitted.

[rapid_business]

Wow...for the size of those, I cant believe the Bay put up such a fuss about them

Yeah, they are mainly for show. Along with the PV (solar) panals on the south side wall. Don't get me wrong, it's good, but rather then hiding this stuff on the roof...(or cover the whole roof with PV panels...or a green roof...or larger wind turbines that will generate more electricity) it's all about PR trying to say, "Hey, look how green we are. Not only are we green, we love to show it off and let you know we are 'sustainable'....."

[jcollins]

Yeah, they are mainly for show. Along with the PV (solar) panals on the south side wall. Don't get me wrong, it's good, but rather then hiding this stuff on the roof...(or cover the whole roof with PV panels...or a green roof...or larger wind turbines that will generate more electricity) it's all about PR trying to say, "Hey, look how green we are. Not only are we green, we love to show it off and let you know we are 'sustainable'....."

Yea I definitely agree with you. And to an extent to set a president, so that when someone else wants to set some up, the Bay will have already done it. I think not only does it give THEM a bunch of attention, it gives the issue a lot of attention too.

[Cambridgite]

And to an extent to set a president

* precedent

Sorry to be such a spelling and grammar whore, but this really stood out. :P

[jcollins]

hahahah sorry about that one, must have hit the wrong option when I changed it with the spell check

[notmyfriends]

* precedent

Sorry to be such a spelling and grammar whore, but this really stood out. :P

Nice catch there, cheif.

[Section ThirtyOne]

Nice catch there, cheif.

:haha:

[Brenden]

dose anyone know what they are going to do if Zehrs leaves?
I don't know about you but I almost never go past the shoppers in that mall. I would guess that the traffic to those stores down there would be low.

EDIT: Lawblaws is no longer building the RCSS at King and Victoria so I would assume that Zehrs would not move.

[gghtransit]

dose anyone know what they are going to do if Zehrs leaves?
I don't know about you but I almost never go past the shoppers in that mall. I would guess that the traffic to those stores down there would be low.

EDIT: Lawblaws is no longer building the RCSS at King and Victoria so I would assume that Zehrs would not move.

Huh?! There was never a proposal for King and Victoria as far as I know, if you are talking about King and Weber, that's still at the OMB IIRC.

As for Conestoga Mall, Loblaws has said that the store would become something else like a Valu-Mart or a No Frills (I actually used to work at the Zehrs).

[notmyfriends]

Huh?! There was never a proposal for King and Victoria as far as I know,

Man, that'd be pretty sweet, though.

[Waterlooson]

That windmill is pretty much ornamental... I can't believe one of those would even generate 2KW.

[rapid_business]

Huh?! There was never a proposal for King and Victoria as far as I know, if you are talking about King and Weber, that's still at the OMB IIRC.

As for Conestoga Mall, Loblaws has said that the store would become something else like a Valu-Mart or a No Frills (I actually used to work at the Zehrs).

This is a moot point now that Loblaws has sold the land at King & Weber.

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

Waterloo Becomes Home to Canada's First Green Bay Store

- Beautiful new Bay store designed to appeal to community's growing affluence -


WATERLOO, ON, Sept. 17 CNW -


The ongoing success and growing affluence of Waterloo has prompted The Bay, a division of the Hudson's Bay Company (Hbc) to launch a beautiful new 120,000 square foot Bay store at Conestoga Mall.

The new store, which is the first green Bay location in Canada, will open to the public on September 19th, 2008.

"Waterloo has become home to some of Canada's leading entrepreneurs and most successful companies," said Bonnie Brooks, President and CEO, The Bay.

"Our new store provides people in Waterloo with an exciting shopping experience, as well as appealing to the community's environmentally progressive nature through unique green initiatives like solar panels, wind turbines, energy efficient lighting and even recyclable carpet."


Among the store's many green innovations are:

- Special energy efficient lighting inside and out - LED exterior
signage lights, which uses 10 percent of the energy required for
conventional lighting; Fluorescent lighting uses energy efficient T8
and T5 ballast which save energy and reduce cooling loads while
providing same lighting quality within the store.

- High efficiency roof top units use ozone friendly R410A refrigerant.

- Accent lighting uses highly efficient Metal Halide light fixtures.

- Solar panels mounted on the front of the store enabling the store to
draw less power from the local grid.

- Two wind turbines, which will generate enough electricity to offset
the power consumption of an average home.

- White TPO roofing to reflect heat and reduce thermal islanding; the
cooler roof reduces the need for air conditioning and is recyclable at
end of life.

- Waterless urinals and touchless water faucets and toilets for water
conservation.

- Carpet tile is recyclable.

- Fully automated energy management system controlled by Hbc head
office, which allows the Company to reduce energy consumption.


Peter Love, Ontario's Chief Energy Conservation Officer, has already recognized Hbc's commitment to creating a culture of conservation Ontario, and has awarded his prestigious Certificate of Recognition for their efforts.

"There is no doubt that energy conservation benefits us environmentally and economically", he said. "Hbc has shown that saving electricity can also go hand in hand with high style, with no compromise in comfort or design."

In addition to the many green features of the store, the new Waterloo Bay is a Company prototype with innovative design and some of the best materials available. Architecturally, it will be very distinctive with frosted glass accents and chrome finishing throughout.

Recently re-built from the ground up, this Bay store can now meet the demands of the Waterloo shoppers through a range of services and special features such as family size fitting rooms and facial rooms for cosmetic services. Many new brands will also be launched for the first time in Waterloo including cosmetic lines MAC and Chanel. The Bay is also pleased to introduce updated clothing lines such as Esprit, Mexx and Kenzie as well as new jewelry and watches such as Puma. The new collection in the store will be geared towards lines for her, for him, and for family as well as soft lines for home.

"We designed this Bay store to give people in the area a premium shopping experience, rather than seeing them drive to Toronto," said Tom Bowman, Regional Sales Manager, The Bay. "We have worked very hard to understand our customer's needs, and we believe the people of Waterloo will be very pleased with the end result. "

:banana:


(source: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2008/17/c5115.html)

[KW4Life]

Good uses of energy efficient products.

However; waterless urinals make bathrooms smell like urine.

[rapid_business]

/\ Not always. At my firm in Edmonton we have them, (as the building was LEED Silver certified) and they never smelled like anything. So long as you change the filters often.

[jcollins]

The Bay opens 'green' store in Waterloo

September 20, 2008
Rose Simone
RECORD STAFF

WATERLOO

The Bay's first "green" store in Canada was lauded for its leadership in energy conservation during opening ceremonies at Conestoga Mall yesterday.

"This store is going to save a lot of energy and yet is as bright and clean and as pleasant a shopping environment as any," said Peter Love, chief energy conservation officer for the conservation bureau, a division of the Ontario Power Authority.

The Bay has been in Conestoga Mall for years but has a new location in the mall and expanded its size by 30 per cent to 120,000 square feet.

The expansion is part of a $50-million facelift at the mall, which will include 40 more stores, new eateries and a new facade when it is completed next year.

The expansion was an opportunity to "set a precedent" in environmental leadership, said Catriona Pruett, The Bay's store manager in Waterloo.

Love said he hopes other stores in the province will follow suit. He presented the Hudson Bay Co., which owns the chain, with a certificate to recognize its energy conservation efforts. "This is an an example of what we need across Ontario," he said.

The most visible environmental features include two wind turbines that generate enough electricity to offset the power consumption of an average home and solar panels at the front of the store that reduce the amount of power it draws from the power grid.

There also is a white reflective roof that reduces the need for air conditioning and dissipates less heat into the local environment, as well as energy-efficient lighting, waterless urinals, recycling stations for customers, and carpet tiles that are made from recycled materials and can be recycled when they need to be replaced.

The company has a chain wide program of achieving a 90-per-cent waste recovery rate by separating and recycling all cardboard, paper, hard plastic and plastic film.

Waterloo Mayor Brenda Halloran said "it shows other corporations that it can be done."

Initially, the city rejected the two 17-metre wind turbines because of issues involving zoning and height, and concerns about falling ice in the winter.

After The Bay agreed to attach the wind turbines to the exterior of the building, rather than set them up as free-standing structures, and install ice-detection equipment, the city reversed its position.

rsimone@therecord.com

[jcollins]

Has anyone been to the new store yet?

[rapid_business]

Yup, I was there today. Pretty nice inside, but very similar to any newer Bay store in any larger city. They had a live stage band inside playing today...

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

Going through some more pictures that I had kicking around, and I was cutting through the parking lot a few weeks ago when they were putting the solar panels up, so I thought I would grab a shot.

Nice to see these as a change, as there has been too much publicity on the wind turbines alone. I know these aren't monumental or anything, but hey, its still a statement.

One thing that kind of disappoints me about this new store that really stands out in this pic is the shoddy brick work. If you look at the grey bricks between the lift and black truck, you can see two different sections that don't match up...and this is consistent around the whole store. Other than that and the store having no electronics department, it's pretty impressive and a very nice addition to the mall.

http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/9532/solarpanelstx1.jpg

[0sprey]

Unfortunately, vertically placed solar panels are quite a bit less productive than those angled based on our latitude or even horizontally placed panels.

so yes, these panels are for show.

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

I came across this 2008 Canadian Awards brochure from the International Council of Shopping Centres, and Conestoga Mall has received a Gold level Award in the category of Business to Business. This was with the innovative approach they took to marketing their $50 million expansion to leading retailers.

"Situated in one of Canada’s most globally important and burgeoning high-tech regions, Conestoga Mall in Waterloo, Ontario, needed to heighten awareness of its $50 million expansion and educate retailers about its impressive market stats. To achieve this, the centre created a dynamic leasing brochure and targeted three worldclass retailers with a “Made in Waterloo” gift, a BlackBerry, and customized the packaging to align to each client’s brand. Response was phenomenal and the centre has secured such top marquee retailers as Nine West, Oliver Bonacini, Spring Rolls, Aerie, and Melanie Lyne."

Spring Rolls is pretty popular in Toronto and has both a sit-down and food court format restaurant. I wonder which one it will be...:tup:

Oliver Bonacini is a really exclusive and upscale restaurant with only two other locations at Blue Mountain and at Bayview Village in Toronto.

(http://www.icsc.org/canadianawards/2008_Canadian_Winners.pdf page 10)

[notmyfriends]

Wow, OB is great and very surprising news.

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

Pictures taken on December 13, 2008.

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/4695/p8030703ih0.jpg

Demolition of the old Bay store on the left, and construction of the new wing on the right.
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/6545/p8030705kv4.jpg

At the front of the mall, this is where the new restaurants are going and according to the site plan, another large format retailer similar in size to the Old Navy.
http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/278/p8030706xs6.jpg

Billboard sign. Kind of blurry though...
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/5674/p8030702av9.jpg

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

Seagrams Museum to open at Conestoga Mall

From City of Waterloo Council Meeting Agenda, March 23:

The City is seeking approval to a lease agreement with Ivanhoe Cambridge, owners of Conestoga Mall to reconfigure the community room space. The City would like to move Heritage Resource's collection, currently housed at the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery to a new 4,000 square foot space at Conestoga Mall. This would replace the "under utilized" community room that is currently there.

The museum is expected to officially open on October 15, 2009. It will be located off of the new food court wing, currently under construction between Galaxy Cinemas and the new Bay store.

I think this is great news! :tup: Ever since the original Seagrams Museum closed (where CIGI currently is...), the City has had difficulty finding permanent locations for all its Heritage Resources collection. I've seen them scattered around the city at city hall, the Waterloo Train Station behind the Perimeter Institute, The Waterloo Rec Centre, and CIGI. This will once again give these items a prominent location for everyone to look at. It's in a busy spot, and people will be more able to easily access the museum and its rich resources. This is also a great boost and compliment to Conestoga Mall's multi-million dollar expansion.

My guess is that the old community room, along with the washrooms and admin offices will be reconstructed into a new and expanded location for Shoppers Drug Mart in the mall. Ever since Shoppers lost their receiving doors, they have been eager to open a new prototype, open 'til midnight store with their own access to the parking lot.


From the agenda:

"Ivanhoe Cambridge, the owners of Conestoga Mall are conducting extensive renovations to the mall. This renovation has a direct impact to the City's current rental space which the City has used for nine years. In accordance to the changes the Mall is carrying out, the City of Waterloo and Ivanhoe Cambridge entered into discussions regarding a new use of the space Ivanhoe Cambridge has committed to providing the City...

Heritage Resources currently operates out of a very restricted space at the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery. Permanent collection display is extremely limited and temporary opportunities are negotiated with the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery. This severely challenges staff and volunteers of making full use of the wonderful heritage assets the City owns.

The community room at the Conestoga Mall is under utilized and Ivanhoe Cambridge has expressed ongoing concerns regarding this. The current renovations have created an opportunity for partnership between the City and Ivanhoe Cambridge.

Ivanhoe Cambridge has agreed to fund and build a dedicated space for the City's Heritage Program to reside in. The City's collection will be prominently displayed and the community engaged in our history. The space would be provided rent free...

Parking: Ivanhoe Cambridge is prepared to provide handicap parking spaces and a safe motor coach/school bus loading zone close to the entrance..."


City of Waterloo, March 23 Council Meeting Packet (http://waterloo.ca/Portals/57ad7180-c5e7-49f5-b282-c6475cdb7ee7/CS_CLERKS_Minutes_2009/20090323_Packet_Council_Meeting.pdf)

[rapid_business]

Yeah...I dunno. Although the new mall will be nice, mixing public museums with shopping centres sounds pretty lame and desperate. I see why they'd want to put it there, I just think the location, and the medium of the building itself, is wrong.

[Brenden]

Yeah...I dunno. Although the new mall will be nice, mixing public museums with shopping centres sounds pretty lame and desperate. I see why they'd want to put it there, I just think the location, and the medium of the building itself, is wrong.

I am going to have to agree

[DHLawrence]

I'm a bit skeptical about it, too. They put a 'Sports Hall of Fame' in the skating rink area of Cambridge Centre; it just sits there ignored.

[WatDot]

Put me down for the skeptical vote too.

People aren't in the frame of mind when at a "mass market" shopping mall. They are there for trash and deals, not culture. :haha:

I suppose this will be a suitable temporary location until they figure out a location for it Uptown Waterloo. :shrug:

[notmyfriends]

"community room" ?

[rapid_business]

Perhaps they could work out space in the Int. Affairs School somewhere?

[DHLawrence]

Is there any room in the Waterloo Public Library on Dupont and Caroline?

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

Before reading the news release from the City of Waterloo, I think it is noteworthy to point out that the $50 million price tag on the mall expansion that was announced in 2006 has now grown to $75 million. This is no doubt a significant amount of money to be spending on the redevelopment of a shopping centre. Ivanhoe Cambridge must have a lot of faith in Conestoga Mall. To put it in perspective, Fairview Park's renovation a couple of years ago cost roughly $33 million. This now $75 million redevelopment will make Conestoga the largest mall in Waterloo Region when complete (bigger than both the Cambridge Centre and Fairview).


City of Waterloo and Conestoga Mall launch a creative cultural initiative

Category: Media Release
Date Posted: April 02, 2009

(Waterloo, ON – March 30, 2009)

The City of Waterloo is pleased to announce a new innovative cultural initiative with Conestoga Mall, Waterloo. Conestoga Mall is currently being expanded and redesigned. As part of this change to create a more interesting shopping experience for their customers, Conestoga Mall is donating space to the City of Waterloo to develop a Heritage site. This site will exhibit and house the City of Waterloo’s Heritage Collection and is scheduled to open in the fall of 2009. This is a value-added feature for the mall as well as for the Heritage and Cultural component of our community.

Says Heritage Resources Program Manager Karen VandenBrink, “Conestoga Mall has worked with the City of Waterloo for a number of years in providing the City with space for community events and presentations. The generous donation of this space for our collection is a tremendous support to our work of preserving and sharing historical information about our ever-changing community.”

Heritage Resources is part of the City of Waterloo’s Recreation and Leisure Services Department. Its mandate is to preserve and protect the City’s Heritage Collection comprised of over 8,000 artifacts. The collection contains a number of local public and fine art pieces, industrial artifacts many related to the distilling industry, artifacts related to the municipal history of Waterloo and the Martin farmstead (a Mennonite farm) located at RIM Park.

Heritage Resources has continually worked in co-operation with community organizations and businesses to research and present quality exhibitions in the many facets of Waterloo’s industrial history. Most recent examples of our collaborations include, “Waterloo: An Illustrated History 1857-2007” by Ken McLaughlin & Sharon Jaeger, a richly illustrated work celebrating the City of Waterloo’s sesquicentennial and the most recent exhibition, Life Lines: The History of Emergency Services in Waterloo. Both accomplishments highlight how important local business was and is to the development of Waterloo.

Sandra Stone, General Manager Conestoga Mall says "this partnership reflects our commitment to the community that we serve and to our collaborative relationship with the City of Waterloo. With such a large cross section of people passing through our doors on a daily basis, our shopping centre is a real hub of the community and as such a perfect location for this new museum. We are committed to doing our part and pleased to be working with the City of Waterloo to help them achieve their goal to preserve and nourish the heritage and cultural components of our community."

About Conestoga Mall
Conestoga Mall is owned and operated by Ivanhoe Cambridge. Serving Waterloo and an extended secondary trade area, the centre is positioned to serve middle, upper-middle and high income markets. The centre is currently undergoing a $75 million dollar expansion project which started spring 2006 to be completed spring 2010. The renovation and expansion of the centre will significantly enhance the operating environment for retailers, increase convenience for customers and expand the retail and service offering in the north end of Waterloo. Highlights of the ongoing project include:

• Opening Fall 2009: 75,000 square foot expansion at the property's south end to feature a "race track design" linking the new wing to the Zehrs wing. The new wing will house: 30 new retail concepts; a new and expanded food court offering with 12 dining venues and seating for 700; and new stylish and well-appointed washrooms.

• Opening Spring 2010: 2 new restaurants unique to the market place as well as new retailers in the former food court location.

The project underlies the vitality of Conestoga Mall and confirms its status as a prime retail destination in the market.


For further information on the project, please contact:
Karen VandenBrink
Program Manager
Heritage Resources
City of Waterloo
519-885-8828
karen.vandenbrink@waterloo.ca

For further information on Conestoga Mall, please contact:
Sandra Stone, CSM, CMD
General Manager
Conestoga Mall
519.886.5500
sstone@ivanhoecambridge.com


http://www.city.waterloo.on.ca/DesktopDefault1.aspx?tabid=1&mid=449&def=News%20Article%20View&ItemId=1038

[razzie13]

I was in the mall just this afternoon and noticed all the ceiling tiles in the Zellers wing are out - finally we're seeing progress on the interior part of the project!

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

I'm sure anyone who has been in the mall lately has seen the interior renovation's progression. It's certainly coming along and moving pretty quickly.

I must say that I'm disappointed though with the renos. It's pretty bland. They have basically just painted everything white. I mean everything is white (the Zellers corridor is the furthest along in the renovation phasing). And the new floor is grey. How boring... This is kind of surprising given the perspectives the mall has released, and what we have seen so far in the new Bay store and Old Navy. They even said in their press release back in 2006 that "the existing building will have fresh new flooring, lighting & skylight upgrades, modern interior décor / furnishings...". Hopefully once the renos near completion and the new furniture comes in (benches, plants, etc) it will look a little nicer and more exciting inside as the press release states. Also, I hope this white paint is just a primer and they will add some colours in soon...:yuck:

On the flip side, the new food court looks like it might make up for the boring interior. The steel work that has gone up so far is pretty amazing and complex, and it will definitely be a focal point for the mall when it's done.

For the record, I also noticed today that Conestoga Mall is selling all of the old interior trees for $50 each. Some even had sold stickers on them...:rolleyes:

Anyone heard anything on new tenants opening soon?

[WatDot]

haha I saw one of those price tags on the fake plant and thought it was a silly joke. Guess not!! :haha:

They are remaining pretty tight lipped about new tenants besides the new restaurants (Spring Rolls and that other one). We could start guessing though.

My guesses would include:
- Guess (tihehe a pun)
- H&M
- Style Sense
- Mexx
and maybe 'Lulu Lemon'

[dunkalunk]

I hope bootlegger comes back. It's one of the few places I can find jeans in my size on a regular basis.

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

I noticed an ad in the Classified section of The Record this weekend for interested franchisees for a Crepe Delicious (link) (http://www.crepedelicious.com/) location in Conestoga Mall. I also recall a few weeks ago seeing a same sort of ad in the Classified for a franchisee for a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory location.

Also from the Canadian Retail thread on SSP:

still no Vancouver or BC but coming soon - Bath & Body Works (http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=3395481) - to these places

Bower Place Red Deer, Alberta TBD Summer 2009
Devonshire Mall Windsor, Ontario TBD Summer 2009
Toronto Eaton Centre Toronto, Ontario TBD Summer 2009
Market Mall Calgary, Alberta TBD Summer 2009
Chinook Calgary, Alberta TBD Summer 2009
Georgian Mall Barrie, Ontario TBD Fall 2009
Conestoga Mall Waterloo, Ontario TBD Fall 2009
Square One Mississauga, Ontario TBD Fall 2009

[WatDot]

H&M @ Conestoga Mall looks to be happening:

Retail Department Manager- NEW STORE OPENING 2009! Kitchener/Waterloo

NEW STORE OPENING FALL 2009! Kitchener/​Waterloo Area

http://jobview.monster.ca/getjob.aspx?JobID=80982860&vw=b&YellowInter=1&re=14&rad=32&rad_units=km&sid=70&indid=17&where=Waterloo%2cOntario&cy=ca&AVSDM=2009-05-13+14%3a19%3a00&pg=1&seq=4&fseo=1&isjs=1&re=1000

[rapid_business]

/\ Yup, saw a news clip about a new H&M in Edmonton, and they were talking about their massive expansion plans in Canadian cities. I'm not shocked at all to see it there.

It's also about building new CRU space big enough to attract these types of stores, versus the traditionally smaller CRU's that malls use to build.

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

Expansion Photo Update:


http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/851/p4280313.jpg

The Restaurants:
http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/1324/p4280312.jpg

http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/2352/p4280314.jpg

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/729/p4280316.jpg

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/2424/p4280317.jpg
If you look at the ironwork in the above two pictures, it looks as if the one restaurant will have a second level (perhaps as a mezzanine).

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/5043/p4280318.jpg

New Food Court:

http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/9682/p4280321.jpg

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/5922/p4280322.jpg

http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/7829/p4280323.jpg


Also, a partial list of the new store line-up was unveiled on Conestoga Mall's website:


Coming Soon (Fall 2009) . . .

* Aeropostale
* Bath & Body Works
* Charm Diamond Centres
* Eleventh Hour Clothing
* Garage
* Lids
* Soft Moc
* Teaopia
* Tonyc Salon & Spa

Food Court:

* Cultures
* Villa Madina
* Taco Bell / KFC
* Tim Hortons

Coming Soon (Spring 2010) . . .

Restaurants:

* Oliver & Bonacini
* Spring Rolls


Source: http://conestoga.shopping.ca/cambridge/jsp/wh_wh.jsp?mallid=cns

[TripleQ]

I do find the insides quite bland.. although much brighter with all the new skylights so it's not terrible.

Does anyone else find it odd they're putting in this new main entrance in pretty much of the back end of the mall? I assume most people are coming in via King St first, and then Davenport but that would most be for grocery shopping, not mall shopping.

[razzie13]

I do find the insides quite bland.. although much brighter with all the new skylights so it's not terrible.

There are no new skylights right now though...

That being said, part of the roof section overtop of the pathway leading from the mall to The Bay has been removed, and judging from what I'm seeing through that spot, that area will look pretty good! On the whole, however, I am also disappointed by the lack of colour. It is brighter as it is right now, but I was expecting more than a paint and ceiling tile change in the existing mall.

The new wing should be open in about 4 months as well, as per one of the store managers who I know in the mall. She's also been told by the construction workers it won't be ready in time.

[WatDot]

Guess the "Eleventh Hour Clothing" is leaving Uptown for Conestoga mall.
So I guess that's 9 of the 30 new stores reveiled... make it 10 with H&M.
Thanks for the update Duke. Productive weekend I see. ;)

[scarfinv]

Does anyone else find it odd they're putting in this new main entrance in pretty much of the back end of the mall?

I'm looking forward to this new entrance. I'm at the Galaxy quite a bit (love seeing Met Operas in HD!), and will combine it with a trip to the mall now that there's a convenient entrance separate from the Bay. There's usually lots of parking available on that side of the mall too.

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

There's usually lots of parking available on that side of the mall too.

I think this will be quite different once that new main entrance to the food court opens! That lot is only busy at night from Galaxy and pretty dead during the day.

As a side note, I have issues with the landscaping on that strip of parking facing the entrance to Galaxy. Whoever planned that wasn't thinking clearly. They put an at grade cement sidewalk in front of all the parking, and then behind that a level strip of landscaping. In that landscaping there are some blocks of grasses which have all since been trampled over, and shrubs which are dying. This is from people taking short cuts through the garden and into Galaxy rather than using the cement opening in the middle. Honestly, I don't blame them for taking these short cuts. If the landscape architects wanted to put a garden here, it should have been raised in planters, with openings every 25 feet or so in the garden for people parking to cross over into Galaxy - because honestly, people who parked at the end of this parking row won't walk all the way to the middle just to use the cement pathway into Galaxy.

Another issue in the landscaping is that the trees planted in front of The Bay are coming up through 3 inch wide holes in the cement, and about 80% of the trees planted last fall are now dead... These trees need permeable surfaces to live! I can just see the mall owners being lazy and either ignoring this problem altogether or just replanting all the vegetation as-is only to have it die again 2 months later...

Stupid decisions like this by "professionals" who are earning tons of money really bug me.


Thanks for the update Duke. Productive weekend I see. ;)
:cool:

[zanate]

Minor tidbit about the food court:

I spoke with the owner of the Mr Sub franchise at Conestoga Mall this week. He had previously said that with the new food court, he was "done". Apparently, the mall wanted $bignum for franchises going into the new court, including his.

That was 12 months ago. When I asked him about it this week he said he didn't know yet what he was doing: he'd received a letter asking if he'd reconsider his decision. Presumably for much less than $bignum.

My obvious assumption (that he agreed with) was that the food court isn't quite drawing the business interest that the mall management previously expected.

[diegaxo]

I think this will be quite different once that new main entrance to the food court opens! That lot is only busy at night from Galaxy and pretty dead during the day.

As a side note, I have issues with the landscaping on that strip of parking facing the entrance to Galaxy. Whoever planned that wasn't thinking clearly. They put an at grade cement sidewalk in front of all the parking, and then behind that a level strip of landscaping. In that landscaping there are some blocks of grasses which have all since been trampled over, and shrubs which are dying. This is from people taking short cuts through the garden and into Galaxy rather than using the cement opening in the middle. Honestly, I don't blame them for taking these short cuts. If the landscape architects wanted to put a garden here, it should have been raised in planters, with openings every 25 feet or so in the garden for people parking to cross over into Galaxy - because honestly, people who parked at the end of this parking row won't walk all the way to the middle just to use the cement pathway into Galaxy.

Another issue in the landscaping is that the trees planted in front of The Bay are coming up through 3 inch wide holes in the cement, and about 80% of the trees planted last fall are now dead... These trees need permeable surfaces to live! I can just see the mall owners being lazy and either ignoring this problem altogether or just replanting all the vegetation as-is only to have it die again 2 months later...

Stupid decisions like this by "professionals" who are earning tons of money really bug me.


:cool:

I totally noticed that too, also those trees are like 50 m apart, instead of filling the sidewalk nicely to provide more shade and maybe some benches, just a waste of space :hell:

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

I was at Conestoga today and noticed that the main entrance has now been fenced off. They have built a temporary wooden tunnel leading into the mall in the middle (similar to what used to connect the mall to The Bay, but not as elaborate) while the rest has been completely blocked off while crews work to renovate the front entrance exterior.

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

Expanding fortunes
Conestoga Mall close to completion on $75 million expansion project

http://media.halton2.topscms.com/images/d8/91/f96726a145edb7fc60ba00a4a125.jpeg
Talin Kechichian of Waterloo hands in her resume at the Bath and Body Works booth during a job fair at Conestoga Mall. The new stores opening this fall are creating hundreds of full and part-time retail jobs.


By Melinda Dalton, Waterloo Chronicle, September 02, 2009

After nearly two years of work and nearly $75 million worth of upgrades, Conestoga Mall is readying to fulfill its vision of becoming the premiere shopping destination in town.

The 31-year-old mall is in the midst of a massive overall that included a major renovation of its anchor Bay store, a re-design of the parking and traffic flow, a 130,000 square foot expansion and a new look that is transforming both the inside and exterior of the building.

“We want it to be a comfortable, convenient, fashionable place to shop with a little bit of contemporary style,” said Sandra Stone, the mall’s general manager.

“We wanted something that was more fashionable than trendy, because trendy goes out of style.

“The architects and designers worked really hard on this to make sure that the design was contemporary, but not faddish.”

And while the décor and increase in square footage are designed to enhance the experience, mall administrators are confident the latest and greatest store offerings are what will bring shoppers through the doors.

When the expansion wing opens this October, the mall will total 670,000 square feet. There will be a new food court, two new restaurants and more than 30 new stores, some opening their first location in Waterloo region.

“We’re really excited about Victoria Secret’s Pink,” Stone said. “It’s their very first in Canada.”

The store is a youth-focused casual ware offshoot of the well-known lingerie store.

Also on the list is the wildly popular Bath and Body Works. The company known for its divine-smelling lotions and soaps opened a few stores in Canada last year.

The closet location currently is in Guelph.

Both Victoria’s Secret and Bath and Body Works are owned by the U. S. company Limited Brands, Inc.

The mall will also be home to Waterloo’s new civic museum, which will house some of the city’s artifacts, which have been in storage for years without a permanent display space.

The museum will take up 4,000 square feet and will be managed by the city’s heritage resources branch.

With the construction and the scores of new stores, changes to the mall have also brought new jobs.

Stone said the shops alone will create 235 new full time positions and 155 new part-time jobs.

That’s in addition to the 200 construction jobs created to build and renovate the building.

The mall was a buzz with job seekers last week when Conestoga Mall retailers held an open job fair for new positions.

Nearly 2,000 people lined up to hand in their resumes at a handful of shops who set up tables in the mall’s hallways to meet with candidates.

“Most of our retailers said they’ll be able to fill the spots, no problem,” Stone said.

In addition to the new stores, the mall is also taking on a new look—adding black marble to their fountains, re-finishing their columns and floors and including soft seating for shopper needing a bit of a break.

Conestoga Mall is owned by Ivanhoe Cambridge, a Montreal-based development company.

They own several shopping centres across the country and recently opened the doors to their newest project — the $500 million CrossIron Mills Centre in Calgary.

The Conestoga renovation project won’t be fully completed until June of 2010. Some stores are moving around within the building and, once the new food court opens, work will start to convert the old food court into retail space.

The mall is gearing up for its grand opening celebration, when the doors of all the new stores will open for the first time, on Oct. 15.

Details will be released later this fall. A lot has changed since the mall first opened its doors in 1978, Stone said. When it was built, Conestoga Mall was in the middle of farmers’ fields and Davenport Road was a two-lane dirt road.

The area didn’t even have bus service, she said.

The mall was renovated in the early ‘90s but, given the growth and demographics of the community, it was time for another change, she said.

“The market demands it,” she said. “ This is a growing community . . . our primary trade area is a younger average age with young children.

“They’re in their acquisition years. They really need a good place to shop. We want this to be the mall of choice — a place where you can eat, shop, have fun, be comfortable, be safe, all those things.”


http://www.waterloochronicle.ca/news/article/186869

[gghtransit]

Minor tidbit about the food court:

I spoke with the owner of the Mr Sub franchise at Conestoga Mall this week. He had previously said that with the new food court, he was "done". Apparently, the mall wanted $bignum for franchises going into the new court, including his.

That was 12 months ago. When I asked him about it this week he said he didn't know yet what he was doing: he'd received a letter asking if he'd reconsider his decision. Presumably for much less than $bignum.

My obvious assumption (that he agreed with) was that the food court isn't quite drawing the business interest that the mall management previously expected.

I hope he moves into the new food court, he runs the only Mr. Sub I can find anywhere that still has Pineapple as a topping item :yes:

[zanate]

I hope he moves into the new food court, he runs the only Mr. Sub I can find anywhere that still has Pineapple as a topping item :yes:

Interesting timing: Second-hand info, but yesterday a coworker of mine says he spoke to the Mr. Sub owner recently and he made a final decision about a month ago to not make the move. Apparently the new food court will not only have a significantly larger number of units (general competition) but will also have a Subway (direct competition). If I were in his position I'd probably think twice too: I prefer Mr. Sub to Subway most days, but a lot of other people think differently.

I agree about the toppings though-- this guy always seemed to have better toppings than anywhere else. Like actual red tomatoes, instead of those pinkish things with hard green cores halfway through like most places have.

Don't get me started on tomatoes.

[scarfinv]

I hope he moves into the new food court, he runs the only Mr. Sub I can find anywhere that still has Pineapple as a topping item :yes:

Subworx (Columbia and Fischer-Hallman) has pineapple topping. My husband thinks it's disgusting to put pineapple on a sub, but I love it! :haha:

[timc]

Subworx (Columbia and Fischer-Hallman) has pineapple topping. My husband thinks it's disgusting to put pineapple on a sub, but I love it! :haha:

Your husband sounds like a sensible man. :D

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

New Wing/Foodcourt GRAND OPENING (http://conestoga.shopping.ca/cambridge/jsp/fp_11.jsp?mallid=cns) Thursday, October 15 - Saturday, October 17

http://conestoga.shopping.ca/cambridge/images/siteimage/cns/expansion.jpg

From Conestoga Mall's website (http://conestoga.shopping.ca/cambridge/jsp/fp_09.jsp?mallid=cns):

"Conestoga Mall is making a colourful splash in celebration of its Grand Opening. Join us as we unveil 100,000 sq. ft. of new space, 30 new retailers, a contemporary food court, Canada’s first in-mall heritage museum, and the Colour of New."

Enjoy The Delicious Selection Of Cuisine At Our Contemporary New Food Court

A bigger menu - Look for a range of new tastes to enjoy, including Cultures, KFC Taco Bell, MacSushi, Spring Rolls To Go, Subway, Tandoori, Villa Madina, and Tim Hortons.

Lots of room for everyone - We’ve doubled the the number of seats from 342 to 814 and given you a lot more seating options such as banquettes and family-sized tables to help you dine in comfort and style.

Make a grand entrance - A new mall entrance will allow better access from customer parking at the expressway end of the parking lot and easier access to Galaxy Cinema.


Even more to come in Spring 2010, including: 2 New Restaurants - Spring Rolls and Oliver & Bonacini 14 New Stores

By spring 2010, we will have improved our retail offering from 100 to 142 stores!


A few things the mall's website doesn't say is that the current food court will be permanently closing at 5:00 PM on Sunday, October 11. Timothy's coffee shop will also close this day, and be relocating to the new food court. I wonder how Timothy's and Timmies literally across from each other will end up going over...:naughty:

[WatDot]

Spoke with the manager of Oliver & Bonacini on the weekend. He stated they are opening mid to late November. Apparently the kitchen equipment is going in this week. Guess Conestoga Mall better update their press releases....

As a product of consumerism... can't wait for the new wing's grand opening tomorrow!! :)

[rapid_business]

I checked out the mall today. Pretty nice. The food court looks pretty good, as does the new washrooms there. I really don't care about any additional stores they've added, although Teaopia is alright.

I'm sure Duke is going to go ape-shit and post a dozen pictures of it, measuring it's opening to the second coming of christ for the region. Ha!

[WatDot]

I'm sure Duke is going to go ape-shit and post a dozen pictures of it, measuring it's opening to the second coming of christ for the region. Ha!

haha!!

It is a nice addition though. Most stores seem to be from other areas of the mall... which i guess is a good thing for now as over the next few months new stores will be filling these vacant spots giving the entire mall a somewhat "new" feel.

[Cambridgite]

I'm sure Duke is going to go ape-shit and post a dozen pictures of it, measuring it's opening to the second coming of christ for the region. Ha!

Oh he'll take it further than that. He'll also make a comparison to Fairview Park Mall and write an essay about how Conestoga's new stores now give yet another competitive advantage to Waterloo over Kitchener. ;)

[myfaceisonfire]

I went and checked it out yesterday as well. I have to say, as much as I hate malls the new wing does look really good. It's was depressing to leave the new wing and circle back into the old part of the mall.

The new stores are pretty bland, fairview still has the better selection. My wife still prefers Cambridge Centre because of the H&M, despite how shitty of an H&M it is. She was happy about the RW&Co though.

It's a step in the right direction, if nothing else it certainly closes the gap between it and fairview. I'll reserve final judgement for when the entire reno is complete in Spring.

[_jyp]

Im going there today, are there any good stores at least?
I heard a XXI and H&M was going in there, or am i wrong

[myfaceisonfire]

well, there definitely isn't an H&M or an XI. I don't even know where there would be room for an H&M in the mall if one were planned...maybe the old food court?