- Thread starter Northern Light
- Start date
ptbotrmpfn
Senior Member
Ridding the mall entirely would be the worst idea. This is a beautiful mall. One of the nicest I’ve been in in Ontario. It’s a shame it’s lost that one wing however if it means a sacrifice to keep the rest I’m all for it. And if it updates the city with this proposal again I’m all for it. Pickering is definitely deserving of an upgrade and a city look and feel. This is a great way to turn it in to a real downtown. With many Durham cities are lacking. Again I say if Ajax would hurry on this boom and creat an actual down town. I see they are trying ... but what they’ve had preposing along Harwood is in the right direction... sadly it’s going to be some time before any shovels hit the dirt there.
Northern Light
Superstar
We can all appreciate different things, and that's fine.
I have to say, I am challenged to see any loss of this mall as lamentable.
This is the main corridor, arguably its nicest feature:
From: https://www.malls.com/ca/malls/pickering_town_centre.html#responsive-gallery-modal
But other sections look like this:
From: https://www.malls.com/ca/malls/pickering_town_centre.html#responsive-gallery-modal
The exterior looks like this:
From: https://www.malls.com/ca/malls/pickering_town_centre.html#responsive-gallery-modal
The last time I went there, on my way to/from elsewhere.......I found the food court to be straight out of 1989 with dated, fixed tables, low levels of natural light and a small/poor offer of choices.
The HBC store had not been invested in yet, and was looking like a not-so-glorified Walmart.
Johnny Au
Senior Member
An Apple Store would work wonders for Pickering Town Centre, given that there are no Apple Stores in Durham Region, Peterborough, or even Scarborough. Not everyone in those jurisdictions is willing to travel to Markville Mall or Fairview Mall.
The Apple Store is by far the most profitable store in a shopping mall with one when measured by sales per square foot.
The Apple Store is by far the most profitable store in a shopping mall with one when measured by sales per square foot.
Richard White
Senior Member
I have been going to the Pickering Town Centre since the early 90s and it has not changed much. The interior fittings remain the same as they were in the 90s and the food court is still just as dark and hidden.
I would not be surprised if they tore it down really and more to the point Oshawa Centre has become the go-to mall for Durham recently. I recall going to Biway at the Pickering Town Centre when it was going out of business and even going to K-Mart there!
kotsy
Senior Member
I used to go to this mall a lot when I was young and they have changed it quite a bit with their renovation in 2008/2009. This is how it looks now.
via pinterest - https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/331155378830360479/
via pinterest - https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/331155378830360479/
Richard White
Senior Member
Good point. At the same time though it has not really gone past its local mall roots since the 90s. It's got the same small town mall vibe that it did years ago.
Midtown Urbanist
Superstar
I think Pickering is showing some ambition recently (especially with recent development proposals) to be more than just a small town with a local mall.
It would be a shame if the physical characteristics of the mall held Pickering back in similar way to how Square One arguably does for Mississauga. If the mall can't radically transform alongside it, it might be worth discussing how a complete demolishing + rebuild done in phases would look like.
The space is there to re-do it. The mall can even return in a manner that would generate regional appeal rather than mere local.
It would be a shame if the physical characteristics of the mall held Pickering back in similar way to how Square One arguably does for Mississauga. If the mall can't radically transform alongside it, it might be worth discussing how a complete demolishing + rebuild done in phases would look like.
The space is there to re-do it. The mall can even return in a manner that would generate regional appeal rather than mere local.
Northern Light
Superstar
The carpet tile is one of the strangest ideas I've ever seen for flooring in a mall.
Very hard to keep clean.
Looks it too!
The residual floor tile to the side doesn't match anything, nor does it look nice in its own right.
Unfortunate choice.
Also, have they not changed 'The Bay' sign to 'Hudson's Bay Company yet?'..............even C-list store like Eglinton Square got re-signed ages ago!
****
Digression: Kotsy? In Pickering? There's an incongruity there that's quite jarring.
Northern Light
Superstar
I can't see how to fix the mall, while leaving it standing.
it's not simply that its relationship to surrounding roads is poor.
It's that it's a super-block that stifles any sense of urbanity.
If you could fit a version of a mall that would run parallel to Liverpool, between Pickering Pkwy and a new Street to the north, providing that it included street-facing retail, I think I could live w/that.
I realize I've shown the Pkwy meeting the highway offramp, btw, It would have to go a smidge further north, but I would nix the parclos and have WB traffic use the west side of Liverpool instead to access the highway.
That would still give you in the range of a 300,000ft2 floor plate or about 3ha/7.5 acres to play with.
If the mall were made 3 floors across the board, that's 900,000ft2 of selling space. Not a bad size.
kotsy
Senior Member
They may have! That photo I posted may have been taken right after renovations were completed in 2009.
Born and raised in Ajax
I've only been in the city since 2008 but family still lives out that way, which has lead to a few trips to the mall after their renovations.Northern Light
Superstar
They may have! That photo I posted may have been taken right after renovations were completed in 2009.
Born and raised in Ajax
You don't convey a suburban sensibility!
That probably explains your relocation!
kotsy
Senior Member
Absolutely! The 'burbs aren't for me!!
ptbotrmpfn
Senior Member
For those who don’t drive or have a license like my self mall shopping will always be my choice when multi store shopping. Makes the most sense. Why go into the weather if you don’t have to and can get everything in one building. Nothing a Costco or big box store can provide ever. If the days of hallways connecting stores are to be gone. Then we are only going backwards in time. Lol We are suppose to be safe oriented these days. What’s safer than being indoors from the elements. And plenty of exits and entrances. More enjoyable to be at one store .. look across and see the next store you want to go to. And simply walk over to it. Dry warm, clean and safe from cars and elements. The thing killing malls now a days is COVID. And it’s messed with people’s heads. People now suddenly feel like being around others is insanity? Lol gunna have to get over it someday people. People during this don’t get how to shop anyways
Midtown Urbanist
Superstar
Definitely sympathize with this point of view. I'm waiting for The Well to open as I think that is the game-changer in mall/shopping centre design in the region. Open-air but protected from the elements (and vehicles).