Watch above: While new neighbourhoods go up all around it, Confederation Mall has remained virtually stagnant for 25 years. Meaghan Craig finds out what’s in store for the half empty structure and why officials are excited for the future.
SASKATOON – Your home is likely to have gone through more renovations in the last twenty five years than Confederation Mall has but that’s all about to change. After years of planning, hammers finally started swinging on Tuesday at the regional mall as a massive renovation project got underway.
“Every surface in here is going to changed. The flooring, the walls, the ceiling, the lighting basically nothing is going to remain untouched,” said Toby Esterby, manager of the Confederation Mall with ICR Commercial Real Estate.
The entire interior of the mall is undergoing a $6-million facelift.
“It’s going to be a long process, nine to 12 months and the mall’s remaining open the whole time so it’s going to be a challenge and one heck of a mess but we’re so excited to do it,” according to Esterby.
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The revamp will breath new life into the quiet shopping centre that currently is a mix of retail and empty storefronts. Esterby says those vacancies are partly on purpose as management waited for the right tenants to fill the spaces.
“The mall itself serves this community on this side in such a way that we need to make sure that we have a diversity of stores in here.”
When all is said and done the mall still won’t be the biggest shopping centre in Saskatoon but the hope is that it will be the nicest.
“This mall is in great shape it’s been so well taken care of for the last 30 years but that’s the thing the last major redesigned of this mall was done in the early ’90s so it’s along time coming, it’s long overdue. We now have an owner committed to doing that, committed to being in the community and investing in the community of Saskatoon,” added Esterby.
“They see the promise of the city as do we.”
According to Steve Campbell, vice-president of asset management for Bayfield Realty Advisors, the company saw the mall’s potential even when times were tough and Walmart was pulling out as its major anchor.
“This end of the city needed some shopping and we said there was potential here to do something so that’s why we made the investment.”
The renovations are the final piece of the puzzle for the Toronto-based asset management team which has already strategically spent millions replacing the Walmart with a Canadian Tire, reconfiguring the mall with a Winners and adding a McDonald’s to the site.
“Retail business is about newness, it’s about being fresh,” said Campbell.
“The shopping centre, unfortunately it got a bit tired and we need to freshen it up so you spend money and hopefully that’s going to attract tenants.”
Tenants really are the only thing that remains hush-hush in regards to the mall’s redevelopment. Esterby woudn’t spill the beans but said some retailers are coming include brand new ones to Saskatoon, national brands and intriguing regional and local shops that want to be part of the fold as well.
“We’re going to have a really diverse tenant and it’s going to be kind of a very, eclectic place to shop by the time we’re done. It’s going to be lots of fun.”
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