When the first phase of West Edmonton Mall opened in September 1981, Bette Davis Eyes topped the charts, the Oilers hadn’t won their first cup and women wore headbands and leg warmers.
Times have changed, but the mall’s appearance hasn’t changed drastically from the 1980s and ’90s, especially compared to older Edmonton malls such as Kingsway Mall and Southgate Centre, which have undergone recent redevelopments.
But starting this spring, Edmonton’s best-known tourist attraction and biggest shopping centre will undergo a multimillion-dollar facelift, West Edmonton Mall president and CEO Don Ghermezian said Thursday.
“You’re going to see a major redevelopment at West Edmonton Mall, commencing March and April of this year,” Ghermezian said.
“It will be through all of Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and it will be a major, major redevelopment of the shopping centre.
“You’ll see new ceilings, flooring, handrails, column treatments, bulkheads, fountains, soft-seating areas, bathrooms, entrances, pylons – a very extensive state-of-the-art retrofit and remodel.”
Renovations expected to last 18 to 24 months will give the mall a “very modern, sophisticated and elegant” appearance, Ghermezian said.
“It will not look like any other shopping centre in town. Quite frankly, I don’t think it will look like any shopping centre in Canada.”
Ghermezian could not give an exact price tag for the redevelopment, but said the project would cost “tens of millions.”
The mall will operate as usual during construction, which will be staged.
West Edmonton Mall attracts more than 28 million visitors a year, according to the mall.
Its allure is also strong for businesses. It houses more than 800 shops and has recently attracted powerhouse retailers such as Victoria’s Secret, which opened its first Canadian store at the mall last year.
Most recently, the mall confirmed Thursday that Quebec-based fashion retailer La Maison Simons will open a 120,000-square-foot store in August 2012.
Ghermezian said he’s hopeful that U.S. discount department store Target will also come to the mall.
“With the first-class tenants that we’re attracting, it was time to do that,” Ghermezian said of the redevelopment.
Kyle Murray, director of the school of retailing at the University of Alberta school of business, said West Edmonton Mall is enjoying success even without redevelopment.
“I don’t think they had to do it,” Murray said.
“From what I’ve heard from the Apple Store, Lululemon and other big chains, some of their best stores in the country are the stores in West Edmonton Mall.
“I think they’re still leaders in Canada, if not the world, in driving traffic, but at the same time retail evolves and you don’t want to sit back.”
Plans also include adding three new slides to World Waterpark by the summer. Two new “extreme” slides will replace the existing Skyscreamer waterslide.
“We’re getting a slide called the Aqualoop, which will start from the highest peak in the water park and slide inside a tube that does an actual vertical loop like a roller-coaster and empties out in a pool down by the bottom,” Ghermezian said.
“It will be the most extreme waterslide in the country.”
At the mall’s Galaxyland amusement park, two smaller family rides will replace some existing rides.
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