Dead/Decaying Malls of Greater Toronto

[Kingsway]

Alderwood has great potential. The neigbourhood to the south is gentrifying and totally lacking in decent retail (along with the rest of South Etobicoke for that matter). Alderwood could really be something decent if the owners have the ability to attract a decent food store, LCBO, coffee shop, etc.

 

[JasonParis]

Westwood is my childhood mall. I haven't been though in maybe 15+ years. I'd love to see some interior shots if anyone has any!

As to its future, I'm not sure. One might argue that Woodbine was Westwood's kiss of death, but then Woodbine is dying too, so I'm not sure what's going on to be honest.

 

[Justin10000]

The last time I went to Westwood Mall, it was populated with South Asian, and West Indian Stores. The mall was filled with shoppers, and seemed to be doing all right.

 

[adma]

Not having been there in ages, my hunch is similar--location and demographics "save" Westwood. Doesn't mean it won't undergo a bit of natural-flux rebuilding; but at the present, it's more a Dufferin or Jane/Finch "ghetto mall" case at worst...

 

[khris]

Oh the many skipped classes I spent in Westwood. What an awful mall, haha. Then again, it really represents awful Malton.

 

[airplane-dude]

Oh the many skipped classes I spent in Westwood. What an awful mall, haha. Then again, it really represents awful Malton.

True, but I see the (image) of Malton improving a bit locally. I drove down many of the smaller residential streets in Malton over the summer and surprising to me, everyone was keeping their properties clean and tidy. Cut grass, nice flowers, no broken down cars. It just looked like any other residential area with older homes in it.

While Westwood isn't dead per say, they have very few 'standard' stores as mentioned above. Just one-off stores catering to the demographics. While that's fine, it would be nice to see something better done to the place.

Now, you want a dead mall, how about Sheridan Centre down in Erin Dale? That mall is huge, but there is ZERO stuff that makes you want to go there.

 

[RC8]

True, but I see the (image) of Malton improving a bit locally. I drove down many of the smaller residential streets in Malton over the summer and surprising to me, everyone was keeping their properties clean and tidy. Cut grass, nice flowers, no broken down cars. It just looked like any other residential area with older homes in it.

While Westwood isn't dead per say, they have very few 'standard' stores as mentioned above. Just one-off stores catering to the demographics. While that's fine, it would be nice to see something better done to the place.

Now, you want a dead mall, how about Sheridan Centre down in Erin Dale? That mall is huge, but there is ZERO stuff that makes you want to go there.

As soon as I saw the thread title it made me think of Sheridan Centre.

When I first moved to Canada that's the first mall I went to. It doesn't look that terrible from the outside, so the shock once on the inside is even greater than normally would be.

Sheridan mall is probably one of the most depressive spots in Southern Ontario as, unlike many of the 'malls' in here, this one you can tell some effort was actually put into back when it was built. It's attached to one of the ugliest blocks of buildings in Mississauga, too.

 

[Dan416]

Sheridan Centre isn't THAT bad. I'm sure there's worse out there. Sheridan at least has the Bluenotes outlet. And..... well they're building stuff on the outskirts of the mall, so it may yet survive as big boxified like Meadowvale Town Centre and South Common.

 

[Vellore]

We can't let the late, great Warden Woods Mall go unmentioned in this thread (and of all the malls mentioned, it is the one that is most truly dead). It's incredible how quickly it went from brand new/mid-range retailers/CinePlex to "Power Centre" to rubble. And you could witness it all from the subway as it pulled into and out of Warden Station. RIP.

 

[airplane-dude]

Sheridan Centre isn't THAT bad. I'm sure there's worse out there. Sheridan at least has the Bluenotes outlet. And..... well they're building stuff on the outskirts of the mall, so it may yet survive as big boxified like Meadowvale Town Centre and South Common.

Oh the Bluenotes is the only reason I go there

But seriously, with regards to Westwood we can say that the area's level of poverty is high, hence retailers don't want to get in there.

But Sheridan? Just a kilometer or two lies mult-MILLON dollar homes on Mississauga Rd. The area is very afluent.

 

[Towered]

I thought you guys were talking about Sheridan mall on Wilson - now that place has always struck me as ghetto, but it recently got the obligatory stucco facelift...

 

[adma]

As dead-mallishness goes, I suppose the affluence of the Sheridan nabe is reflected in how a big chunk of ex-department-store became offices for Royal & Sun Alliance...

 

[ShonTron]

The demolition of the Bay Store at Shoppers World. Word is that this part of the mall will be redeveloped for more big-boxing. I'll be interested to see the agenda sent to the city's planning and development committee.

Meanwhile, Bramalea City Centre has a nice new expansion/redevelopment almost complete, though the new corridors are opened to the public - see the Bramalea thread in the Retail section.

 

[airplane-dude]

As dead-mallishness goes, I suppose the affluence of the Sheridan nabe is reflected in how a big chunk of ex-department-store became offices for Royal & Sun Alliance...

I never thought of that, but they do rent a lot of the real estate downstairs, don't they? Perhaps they pay enough rent to Bentall to make it worth their while.

Those pics of Shoppers World are scary. I have fond memories of shopping at the 'Simpsons' as a young child.. it's a shame they closed down the Bay, but the demographics of the area played a big role in that IMO.

 

[ShonTron]

I used to shop at the Bay (and dragged to the store when it was a Simpson's, I remember the old green signage). I remember before the 2000-2001 redevelopment when the old 1973-era Simpson's was still visible, with the black box entry which was later incorporated into the Canadian Tire - Simpson's moved into a bigger store when the mall expanded around 1980. I also remember when BCC was the crappy mall in Brampton and Shoppers World the better mall.

BCC had Beaver Lumber as an anchor - seriously! and not far from Eaton's. Shoppers World had less crime and waterslides at one time.


Anyway, here's some pics of one of the earlier discussed malls - Mountain Plaza in Hamilton. The Wal-Mart was replaced by a Supercentre and demolished, and other outbuildings were added, though much of the original indoor mall stands, but for how much longer? This is a "Smart Centre" development.