New Huge Mall?

[Nehkara]

I've heard some rumors recently that they are building an enormous mall (bigger than West Edmonton Mall) just north of Calgary between Calgary and Airdrie... Is there any truth to this? Has anyone heard this?

[sebbie]

i know that just north of calgary chinook mall baught out a huge chunk of land, but if its going to be bigger then west ed i dont know. was looking at property north of the city and i came across that, dont have a link so take it for wat its worth.

[flamingchina]

There is all sorts of stuff planned for the corridor between Airdrie and Calgary.
I've heard about the mall, there is the horse track, and rockview is planning on building a 50k person town between them as well... (the mall might be part of this..)
Really, the whole highway 2 corridor is gonna end up looking like the US interstates, a highway surrounded by buildings, with nothing behind them.

[sebbie]

also, just north of the chinnok land jaymes baught some land. and almost 2 miles north is already ok'd for development. again this is just what my realtor told me so i cant back it up.

[getbak]

I think I've heard about the possibility of a big box outlet mall north of the airport where they're also building a new horse track. It would be like the outlets you see all over the States, and would make West Hills or Crowfoot look like nothing. I'd expect it to be comparable to Deerfoot Meadows more than West Ed.


I doubt we'll see anything like West Ed ever built again anywhere in North America (although there are apparently a couple of malls either open or under construction in Asia that are bigger than West Ed). I don't think it's ever been very financially sound because it is too big, rents are too high, and there are too many other things to distract people from their shopping.


I would think the only reason anyone would build a mall bigger than West Ed in Calgary would be out of spite to take away the only claim to fame (along with a few Stanley Cups a couple of decades ago) that Edmonton has. Although, it would probably be enough to get them to drop the lame "Greatest Indoor Show on Earth" slogan (wonder how they came up with that one?).

[soulchoice]

Here is a link for the mall. Calgary needs some better shopping, hopefully this will change things. We are lacking in the shopping realm here for sure.

http://www.calgarycountry.com/story.php?id=207723

It certainly will not be as large as West Edmonton Mall. In fact it will be smaller than Metrotown in Burnaby, but it is a good concept. No need to build a similar mall to West Ed. As much as West Ed is outdated, etc, it still is the most famous and desireable attraction according to tourists in Alberta.

[soulchoice]

Originally Posted by flamingchina

There is all sorts of stuff planned for the corridor between Airdrie and Calgary.
I've heard about the mall, there is the horse track, and rockview is planning on building a 50k person town between them as well... (the mall might be part of this..)
Really, the whole highway 2 corridor is gonna end up looking like the US interstates, a highway surrounded by buildings, with nothing behind them.

I hope the QE2 does look like a US interstate. Im all for buildings, bright signs, etc on a highway. That way it doesnt look so deserted. But then again I am a pure city slicker.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by getbak

and would make West Hills or Crowfoot look like nothing.

Honestly, someone needs to level WestHills (at least 1 side of it) and make it into a REAL closed-in mall. The west has no malls; driving to Chinook or Market is a pain. And plus, Westhills is a traffic abortion....so poorly laid out

[peter12]

I ****ing hate malls. No more malls. Calgary doesn't need to look like New Jersey.

[Calgary Flames]

Originally Posted by soulchoice

I hope the QE2 does look like a US interstate. Im all for buildings, bright signs, etc on a highway. That way it doesnt look so deserted. But then again I am a pure city slicker.

I agree, better then the boring ass country and nothingness when you drive up north.

[Hack&Lube]

I thought enclosed malls were out of vogue and all the new malls were going to be open box?

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by peter12

I ****ing hate malls. No more malls. Calgary doesn't need to look like New Jersey.

I agree. Malls are not good.

And I may be a Luddite to say so, but I think the boringness of open prairie and blue sky is preferable to the excitement of looking at miles and miles of box stores and outlet malls.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

I agree. Malls are not good.

And I may be a Luddite to say so, but I think the boringness of open prairie and blue sky is preferable to the excitement of looking at miles and miles of box stores and outlet malls.

I like brown grass a hell of alot more than I like Starbucks. Actually I hate Starbucks. Seriously, what is the prestige for a city in having a big sprawling hideous looking building like Chinook with 3 Gaps, 3 American Eagles, etc... Can you imagine what this new one will be like? You'll have the mall with the same 11 or so chain stores replicated a bunch of times inside. Outside... a big parking lot, a Joey TOmatoes, maybe a Boston Pizza, and a Payless Shoe Source. It all looks the same people!!

I seriously cannot stand wandering around for miles in a mall with no windows trying to find the one freaking store you need to buy something at, having to push through greasy mall rat children, avoiding all the chong guys and their Paris Hilton girlfriends.

I've shrunk down to Megatunes and Eddie Bauers for my clothe and music needs. So I now dress like an old man but at least to good music. No more chain stores!

[FlamesAddiction]

Having a huge mall on the outer edge of town would not be good for Calgary IMO.

Calgary has a very nice downtown, and you want people using it. Building a huge mall could hurt downtown activity like it does to so many cities.

[soulchoice]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Having a huge mall on the outer edge of town would not be good for Calgary IMO.

Calgary has a very nice downtown, and you want people using it. Building a huge mall could hurt downtown activity like it does to so many cities.

I agree with you in that it would not bode well for the downtown. However I am open to any more shopping that this city can get. Besides in reality, nothing will make the downtown worse than it already is, with respect to activity.

The core is dead as can be for a city of this size. During the weekday, its busy, but at night, it is a literal ghostown. Even during the weekends at night, it is not busy. So in reality, having shopping on the outskirts may hamper downtown growth, but it certainly wont make it any worse than it already is.

[Engine09]

I go to Eau Claire every chance I get because I hate Chinook so much. if they build a new mall out of town, I'll never ever step foot in it.

[soulchoice]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

I thought enclosed malls were out of vogue and all the new malls were going to be open box?

Well if it was nice weather here all year around, then I am sure that is a good option. In the US it seems to have gone that route, especially California. But, here in Calgary, it still does get cold, so i prefer indoor shopping.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by soulchoice

I agree with you in that it would not bode well for the downtown. However I am open to any more shopping that this city can get.

What is missing? Is it that Calgary doesn't have the "right" stores, or is it that we have the right stores, but just not enough of them?

I guess because I'd rather pull out my fingernails than spend any unnecessary time in a shopping mall, I don't understand the appeal.

[soulchoice]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

What is missing? Is it that Calgary doesn't have the "right" stores, or is it that we have the right stores, but just not enough of them?

I guess because I'd rather pull out my fingernails than spend any unnecessary time in a shopping mall, I don't understand the appeal.

Well honestly, store wise, most cities are pretty much the same with respect to establishments in a mall. What I meant was there is a lack of options for malls in certain areas that have certainly grown in the last decade. For example, in the NW quadrant, there is only really one enclosed mall that is the within close proximity. Hardly enough for the population base there. Northland mall doesnt cout alright..lol.

Same goes for certain areas in the South as well. Though there is Southcentre and Chinook, which is not too bad. But the North is really under serviced with respect to enclosed malls. There most certainly is the demographics and target market available for another mall within close driving for those in the NW.

I understand that many of us on here at CP may not find going to a mall appealing, but in reality, there is a demand. Go to any mall at virtually anytime of the day and it is very busy. Weekends are nuts, so the people are going and shopping.

In addition to this, Calgary and its malls generally have the best numbers with respect to spending per square foot of retail space in enclosed shopping centers. Thus the stats speak for themself, in that there is a good chance another larger type mall would do well in the right area.

[oldschoolcalgary]

yeah...I'm bias, but as an architect (well, not yet registered, so techically I'm just a designer) i am disappointed whenever a mall goes up...Don't get me wrong, there is an appeal in consumerism, but the actual mall environment is typically horrible in Calgary...