Dead/Decaying Malls of Greater Toronto

[ShonTron]

Here's some recent pics of Brampton Mall, a little relic of how malls used to be before they were enclosed and expanded.

The Crystal Lanes Bowling Alley (a memory of my childhood) closed about 5 years ago, it was in the basement. Likewise the old Guest Hardware, which was a great hardware store with a basement level. The local flowershop, the hobby/sport store (Vivian's), Brampton Colour and Sound, and others anchored the mall, along with the Steinberg's/Miracle Food Mart, LCBO and Beer Stores.

Between 1960 and 1969, it was either downtown Brampton or the Brampton mall where one could shop. It had Reitman's, two good shoe shops, a bank, an appliance store, with Woolworth's as the other anchor. All that's left is the grocery store (now Metro), Shoppers Drug Mart, Royal Bank, a woman's fitness shop and a pub and a hairdresser, and a few marginal businesses and non-profit agencies.

From what I've heard, the old Woolworth's site (later Bargain Harold's/Bargain Shop) is being dismantled to accommodate a full-size Shoppers Drug Mart.

 

[Mustapha]

Here's some recent pics of Brampton Mall, a little relic of how malls used to be before they were enclosed and expanded.

What a great little courtyard.

 

[Duke-of-East-York]

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.

When was the old Walmart here demolished? I made the trek to Mountain Plaza this summer since there is a big Dutch store in the mall and I wanted to buy some gear for the Holland vs. Spain World Cup final. The Walmart was still open at this time. Looks like it used to be a Woolco.

The parking lot was extremely cramped though since they were putting the finishing touches on the new Walmart Supercentre and there was a smaller new building crammed in along the perimeter.

I hope the old mall is retained or redeveloped in a way that smaller stores like the Dutch store (Dutch Toko?) can remain in the market and not be eroded by these huge big box category killers SmartCentres is famous for.

 

[sodapop]

awesome looking courtyard!

 

[junctionist]

I presume that it wasn't just a courtyard, but the mall surrounded by stores. Malls were, after all, styled after pre-automobile age pedestrian streets, where you wouldn't have to worry about cars. However, as the sign banning bicycles suggests, it was often just a veneer on something focused strongly on separating pedestrians from environments with other vehicles. The results of such Modernist planning ideals were often sterile and uninspiring spaces.

No wonder the outdoor malls were converted into indoor malls. If it's going to be very sterile and highly regulated as a space, it might as well have a roof and not pretend to be an urban public space.

 

[Jarrek]

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.

I sometimes go to that mall for lunch. There's a place there that sells absolutely killer Roti varieties. I'll take some pics the next time I'm there, but the last time I was, I'm pretty sure the mall was nearly 100% occupied. I would say Woodbine is in a worse shape than Westwood.

 

[airplane-dude]

I sometimes go to that mall for lunch. There's a place there that sells absolutely killer Roti varieties. I'll take some pics the next time I'm there, but the last time I was, I'm pretty sure the mall was nearly 100% occupied. I would say Woodbine is in a worse shape than Westwood.

I agree.. I think the old location where Rogers Video was, is the main empty space.

But the problem is (IMO) the lack of "major" retailers. Whether it just be an EBgames, or a Footlocker. There are stores there, but not stores many of us want to shop in!

 

[adma]

But maybe the saving grace of sorts for Westwood is that it was never a really pretentiously-conceived mall in the first place--more in the Towers/Woolco/Zellers category than the Eatons/Simpsons/Bay category (unlike Woodbine). Thus, its "decline" seems a softer, more organic thing, (A similar case might be the Galleria at Dufferin+ Dupont.)

 

[UrbanPrincess]

I went to Woodbine last week and I was quite surprised at how well it was doing. I'm assuming because it is the only mall in the area, the closest being Yorkdale and Vaughan Mills which generally cater to higher end stuff. But it is not too big and not too smal...just the size of montreal (ha)

My boyfriend took me to Albion Centre for the first time and I can't believe how busy it is in there. Relative to similar sized malls in Scarborough, Albion is doing phenominally better

 

[sterdeus]

The talk about Sheridan Mall (now Sheridan Centre) on Erin Mills Parkway in Mississauga sure brings back memories. It was a great mall back in the 80's and earlier 90's housing a movie theatre, Kmart, the Bay and a Consumer Distributing! It slowly went downhill, losing customers, closing the theatre and losing the Bay and Kmart (changing to Zellers which is still there, the Zellers story alone is a sad one). Its efforts at revival were using the back lower section where the Bay used to host businesses. Then came A&P/Dominion on the north end, then (as mentioned) building external stores like Tim Hortons, McDonalds, Pizza Pizza, and Boston Market/Taco Bell.

Also, as mentioned, there's local low income housing (Roche Court) next to it, but also Mississauga Rd. mansions to the east, Sherwood area to the north, and Lorne Park near by as well. There's more than enough high income people in the are to keep it alive.

Just a thought, could its demise be partially attributed to Erin Mills Town Centre which opened a few km north. I dont want to open the can of worms mentioning South Common mall which had its own troubles.

 

[adma]

Just a thought, could its demise be partially attributed to Erin Mills Town Centre which opened a few km north. I dont want to open the can of worms mentioning South Common mall which had its own troubles.

Don't forget Oakville Place just down the QEW...

 

[Eug]

I was going to say Golden Mile Plaza at Eglinton and Victoria Park, but it would appear they're getting updated. I'm not optimistic though. That place depresses me just as much as a Wal-Mart... and I despise walking through Wal-Mart.

OTOH, the update to Scarborough Town Centre was a relative success. It's by no means ritzy looking, but it's quite respectable looking now, and modern.

 

[adma]

Interesting w/Golden Mile; that'd practically be a "second-generation" dead mall in utero...

 

[ShonTron]

Passed by Shoppers World Brampton recently, and it looks like they already decided what they want to do with the old Bay/Simpson's site - big box it and add more pads.

A new Beer Store is planned for the outer parking lot near Charolais, a (ugh) Bad Boy is moving in and a big-box Chinese buffet.

Here's the latest site plan from RioCan:

http://www.riocan.com/Content/PDF/sitePlan/173A.pdf

 

[airplane-dude]

That sounds dissapointing.. I was hoping for a Futureshop or something..

And that probably spells the end of the 'Golden Star' restaruant. I used to eat there a few years back, but these days it's often empty. Adding an Imperial Buffet will just kill it.