Rideau Centre Expansion | Completed

[teej1984]

Ok, this may be a bit silly, but I truly hope they make all their logos Centre Rideau Centre. As the prime retail location in the city, I really think it should be bilingual to welcome both Franco-Ontariens, Francophones and visitors!

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Rideau Centre officially unveils new high-end tenants

OBJ Staff, Published on September 26, 2013

Shoppers who once had to travel to Montreal and Toronto to get their fix of high-end merchandise from retailers such as Simons and Victoria’s Secret soon won’t have to go any farther than downtown Ottawa.

The Rideau Centre officially broke ground on its $360-million expansion on Thursday morning -- a project that will add 230,000 square feet of retail space, a three-level underground parking garage and a “premium” dining hall with seating for 850 people to the 30-year-old mall.

In addition to Quebec-based Simons and lingerie retailer Victoria’s Secret, other high-end chains that have confirmed they will be part of the expanded shopping centre include Nordstrom and J. Crew.

The mall will also undergo a complete makeover, with an interior renovation featuring new quartz flooring and enhanced lighting.

Owner Cadillac Fairview said construction should be complete by 2016. The mall will remain open during the expansion.

“The significant changes under way will elevate the shopping experience for customers and reaffirm Rideau Centre’s position as Ottawa’s leading shopping centre,” Sal Iacono, senior vice-president, development and portfolio management at Cadillac Fairview, said in a news release.

http://www.obj.ca/Local/Retail/2013-...-end-tenants/1

I'm sure dozens more are waiting in the wings.

I wonder if some existing tenants, running in the lower end of the retail spectrum, are going to be leaving the Rideau Centre?

[phil235]

Originally Posted by umbria27

Yeah, that's certainly what it looks like. Is that a mistake, creative license, optical illusion?

I think that it is more like a sincere hope on the part of the mall.

There isn't much downside that I can see. Maybe a loss of some bus lay-up space. But it would greatly improve the pedestrian experience and would provide the start of a better link between the Market and the University precinct.

[Boxster]

I will second that!!!

Originally Posted by teej1984

Ok, this may be a bit silly, but I truly hope they make all their logos Centre Rideau Centre. As the prime retail location in the city, I really think it should be bilingual to welcome both Franco-Ontariens, Francophones and visitors!

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by teej1984

Ok, this may be a bit silly, but I truly hope they make all their logos Centre Rideau Centre. As the prime retail location in the city, I really think it should be bilingual to welcome both Franco-Ontariens, Francophones and visitors!

I thought they alreadt were bilingual?

Though I have noticed a few malls in Ottawa have actually reduced bilingual signage in recent years. Can't remember for Rideau but St Laurent definitely has less bilingual signage than it used to and has a lot of English only now.

[eltodesukane]

Centre Rideau Centre
or
Rideau Centre Rideau

[J.OT13]

Oh, wait. They didn't fix the floor in the window... Damn it!

[citydwlr]

Video fly-through is up on the Rideau Centre site:

• Video Link

[rocketphish]

In each of the following images you can see a large wall-mounted panel displaying historic building façades. Is this just artistic license? are they trying to depict reflections of the buildings across the street? or are we maybe getting some actual imagery of historic building façades incorporated into the design?




Click to enlarge

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by eltodesukane

Centre Rideau Centre
or
Rideau Centre Rideau

Centre Rideau Centre. Predominantly display Rideau in the middle.

That said, as a French-Canadian, I wouldn't care if they just had Rideau Centre.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

In each of the following images you can see a large wall-mounted panel displaying historic building façades. Is this just artistic license? are they trying to depict reflections of the buildings across the street? or are we maybe getting some actual imagery of historic building façades incorporated into the design?

Pages 26-27, you can recognize the buildings in the reflection.

http://webcast.ottawa.ca/plan/All_Im...ge%20Study.PDF

[gjhall]

Originally Posted by umbria27

Yeah, that's certainly what it looks like. Is that a mistake, creative license, optical illusion?

They've previously said it's something they were interested in. i think it would be good and would help integrate the Rideau Centre with the adjoining retail properties, which could then hopefully attract some better tenants.

[gjhall]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

I'm sure dozens more are waiting in the wings.

I wonder if some existing tenants, running in the lower end of the retail spectrum, are going to be leaving the Rideau Centre?

Probably, that has been the pattern for some time at the Rideau Centre ... retail gentrification!

[gjhall]

Originally Posted by kevinbottawa

The food court looks a lot like the one at Yorkdale.

In other news 613 Style is saying that Victoria's Secret is taking over the now closed American Eagle space and Victoria's Secret PINK is taking over the now closed HMV. It'll be interesting to see who takes over the Fairweather space. It's one of the bigger ones in the mall.

Based on their release, I'm guessing J Crew which they say will be on the 2nd floor, but they don't specify the location.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by gjhall

Probably, that has been the pattern for some time at the Rideau Centre ... retail gentrification!

Yeah, I am thinking there are at least some stores that will likely be forced out of the Rideau Centre - if nothing else, they wouldn't be able to afford the rent.

[archie-tect]

Its really unfortunate that the token Olgilvy façade is completely dwarfed by the addition. Instead of being a marker, it becomes more background. I would have been in favour of keeping the whole building (at five storeys), but that ship has sailed. At some point you have to wonder if it is time to put the poor neglected building out of its misery and call a spade a spade.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by archie-tect

Its really unfortunate that the token Olgilvy façade is completely dwarfed by the addition. Instead of being a marker, it becomes more background. I would have been in favour of keeping the whole building (at five storeys), but that ship has sailed. At some point you have to wonder if it is time to put the poor neglected building out of its misery and call a spade a spade.

That would be the right call for the corner of Cumberland and Murray, but not for Ogilvy IMO.

The full building was fine. Sure it needed some esthetical renovations on the exterior (mostly fix some detailing and repoint the brick work, replace the glass in the windows) and a clean up, rebuild of the interior (it had already been gutted in 06 to get rid of asbestos), but it was structurally fine. I cannot stress that point enough.

What is proposed is a good... I don't want to say compromise, but anyway. My point is, the 1906 façade is still grandiose in size and detailing that it is worth remounting. It is somewhat dwarfed by the expansion, for one I would like them to tone down the entrances, but it is still well integrated.

[Schattenjager]

The fact that Trivium has a complete monopoly for their type of fashion in Ottawa is most likely the only reason why they have been able to survive in the Rideau Centre for this long since they allow themselves to charge considerably higher prices compared to stores found in other cities, meaning, they won't lose any business if they raise their prices even higher.

[teej1984]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I thought they alreadt were bilingual?

Though I have noticed a few malls in Ottawa have actually reduced bilingual signage in recent years. Can't remember for Rideau but St Laurent definitely has less bilingual signage than it used to and has a lot of English only now.

All the renders only have Rideau Centre.

[J.OT13]

Retail Insider on the Rideau Centre;

26 September 2013

HELLO SIMONS AND NORDSTROM: OTTAWA'S RIDEAU CENTRE EXPANSION BREAKS GROUND TODAY

Today marks the ground breaking of the expansion of Ottawa's Ridea Centre. By the spring of 2015, the mall's expansion will include a 105,000 La Maison Simons store as well as Nordstrom, which will join the mall as its southern anchor.

The groundbreaking will be at the corner of Rideau Street and Nicholas Street, being the future site of the La Maison Simons store.

Last year we reported that Nordstrom would open a 157,000 square foot store in the mall , replacing the top two levels of a former Sears store. Nordstrom is expected to open some time in the spring of 2015. Simons will open at about the same as Nordstrom.

Saks Fifth Avenue could open across the street from Rideau Centre within Hudson's Bay's department store, though we have no further details at this time.

http://www.retail-insider.com/2013/0...m-ottawas.html

26 September 2013
HARRY ROSEN TO BUILD OTTAWA FLAGSHIP STORE

Upscale menswear retailer Harry Rosen will relocate its Ottawa Rideau Centre store to an 18,000 square foot space in a central portion of the mall. It will open in the Spring of 2015 and construction starts Fall 2014.

Interestingly, the new store will include a large shoe shop with its own entrance, adjoined to the main store. Harry Rosen will also include several designer shops-in-shop, not unlike other larger Harry Rosen stores.

When finished, this will be one of Harry Rosen's largest stores. The largest is the 55,000 square foot Toronto flagship on Bloor Street West. In total, Harry Rosen has 16 Canadian store locations as well as one outlet store in Mississauga.

Ottawa's Rideau Centre is undertaking a massive expansion which broke ground this morning. It will eventually include new retail anchored by a 105,000 square foot La Maison Simons store and a 157,000 square foot Nordstrom store. Word has it that a Saks Fifth Avenue store could also open across the street from the mall within Hudson's Bay.

http://www.retail-insider.com/2013/0...-flagship.html

The current HR is 16,000 square feet.