Chinook Expansions?

[Thaco]

Hey, I've been hearing a lot of stuff about the chinook, the only facts i've read so far are 180,000 sq feet of retail added, with 60-80 stores... I hear it's going to be consuming the parking lot in front of the theaters... with plus 15's across the glenmore and macleod for parking, word is they're killing off jack carter and the red lobster area for more parking n stuff.


So i'm gonna keep this first post updated


FACTS:
180,000 SQ FT retail space
60-80 new stores
Jack Carter is moving to make room (Parking?)
2-3 levels of underground parking


UNCONFiRMED:
Expansion will be in front of the theaters
Expansion will be in front of the north half of the mall

[2002civic]

I believe it is also going to be mostly American stores coming to Calgary/Canada for the first, or one of the first times...:dunno:

[MackDawg]

Yea Jack Carter is moving by the deer foot casino.

[01RedDX]

.

[adam c]

i can't imagine people wanting to walk that far and the traffic nightmare around that area would only continue to grow.. all the people trying to turn into a parking lot where jack carter is would be a joke

[Rarasaurus]

I heard from the land surveyors of the project that it will be two floors of underground parking and then a lot of stores. American stores and high end ones like LV will be going in also.

[Sharpie]

Originally posted by adam c
i can't imagine people wanting to walk that far and the traffic nightmare around that area would only continue to grow.. all the people trying to turn into a parking lot where jack carter is would be a joke
There is supposed to be some pedestrian bridge too.

[dino_martini]

Wrong about the location.

They are taking up the space infront of Sears to the Food Court:
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd86/dino_martini/chinookexpansion.jpg

The area in red is the area they are going to be putting the new bit of the mall.

As I understand it (I read the article in the paper about two months ago) they are going to dig down and put in two/three levels of underground parking and then build the mall on top of that. Plus they are going to build an pedestrian overpass from the mall - across macleod so that people can get from the train station to the mall easier. Crossing macleod can be a bitch sometimes. I dont know when it will be done, and I havent heard much about who is going to be entering the new spaces.

There is going to be a ton of new mall developement in an around Calgary. You have that new mall up in Balsac with a race track and casino thing. South Center is doing a huge revamp. Market Mall finished a renovation a while ago. Plus TD Square/Etons Center is getting a huge reno too. Since Sears moved out of their downtown location, apparently Holy Renfrew is moving into that space, then a bunch of new retaliers will move into the space that Holt Renfrew leaves behind.

[Xtrema]

That part of the mall should be dedicated for all the ballers in the city. Ballers have nowhere to shop. :rofl:

[Melinda]

^^ It will be. Chinook has already 80% leased the new part of the mall and it wont even be completed until 2010. There will be some higher end stores like Harry Rosen (sp?), Gucci, ect. Not just the avg teen stores anymore. They said there will be 80 more stores and 1500 new parking spaces.

[toyboy88]

I want a Hollister and/or Abercrombie haha... :D :angel:

[buh_buh]

instead of building out, why don't they build up? I'm no architect, so it may already be too late for them to start building up, but it makes more sense than to buy up more land and make people walk further.

[alixantus]

I want a Jollibee!!! yeah!!! JOLLIBEE!!! baby!!!.. but i highly doubt it it'll be there. one things is for sure tho, that mall is gonna be craaaazy! more businesses, more jobs, and more tards runnin around thinkin they thugs.

[HybridTheory]

Originally posted by toyboy88
I want a Hollister and/or Abercrombie haha... :D :angel:

:werd: That way I don't have to drive all the way up to Edmonton to their stuff anymore

[adidas]

Originally posted by buh_buh
instead of building out, why don't they build up? I'm no architect, so it may already be too late for them to start building up, but it makes more sense than to buy up more land and make people walk further.

That would be really hard to pull off. The foundation is made to support the building that is in there right now, putting more floors on the existing building will mean that more force is going to come down in turn the foundation wont be able to support it. The whole thing would probably collapse.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by toyboy88
I want a Hollister and/or Abercrombie haha... :D :angel:

You do realize that only gay men wear Abercrombie right?

There is a reason their stores are filled with huge pictures of topless men and stink like a cologne factory exploded inside.

[toyboy88]

Originally posted by HybridTheory


:werd: That way I don't have to drive all the way up to Edmonton to their stuff anymore

Exactly why I'm hoping for one haha....but I do have to say their shipping off their website is exceptionally fast (2 and 1/2 days! and no duties!)..:drama:

[aklalani]

Originally posted by buh_buh
instead of building out, why don't they build up? I'm no architect, so it may already be too late for them to start building up, but it makes more sense than to buy up more land and make people walk further.

im pretty sure they own the land marked by the red. i think there may also be height restrictions based on the zoning of the area.

[PINOY-X]

Originally posted by alixantus
I want a Jollibee!!! yeah!!! JOLLIBEE!!! baby!!!.. but i highly doubt it it'll be there. one things is for sure tho, that mall is gonna be craaaazy! more businesses, more jobs, and more tards runnin around thinkin they thugs.

keep dreaming lol

[The Cosworth]

Originally posted by dino_martini
Balsac


:rofl:

Ball Sack

[benyl]

Originally posted by Xtrema
That part of the mall should be dedicated for all the ballers in the city. Ballers have nowhere to shop. :rofl:

Ballers don't shop in Calgary. They go to LA or NY for the weekends.

[kertejud2]

Originally posted by sputnik


You do realize that only gay men wear Abercrombie right?

There is a reason their stores are filled with huge pictures of topless men and stink like a cologne factory exploded inside.

m_dyHYuHiMY

[Hash_man]

they better do something with the roads around there and turns getting in to chinook mall too with all the expansions, traffic already gets nuts around there because of people lined up to get in and out of the mall.

[SilverRex]

how does this new Big chinook fair with the coming Belsak
Megamall in the north? before I hear the new Megamall is about 60-80 stores bigger than the current chinook so I wonder if this is a way to compete.

Anyways, all these branded name stores, I rather see more individual stores. like the Asian malls in hong kong where you see lots of good stuff for cheap deals.

[01RedDX]

.

[Thaco]

Originally posted by SilverRex
how does this new Big chinook fair with the coming Belsak
Megamall in the north? before I hear the new Megamall is about 60-80 stores bigger than the current chinook so I wonder if this is a way to compete.

Anyways, all these branded name stores, I rather see more individual stores. like the Asian malls in hong kong where you see lots of good stuff for cheap deals. i heard the balzac mall will be the same size as the current chinook, as far as retail space goes.

the only reason it's being referred to as a "Mega Mall" is because of the multiple facilities out there, horse race track, casino, mall, hotels, etc...

[pf0sh0]

Chinook should get a playdium or w.e the fuck it's called, basically a sick arcade with games like INITIAL D and DDR.

[boxer23]

market mall is being overshadowed:cry:

[sexualbanana]

Originally posted by Hash_man
they better do something with the roads around there and turns getting in to chinook mall too with all the expansions, traffic already gets nuts around there because of people lined up to get in and out of the mall.

I think that's part of the reason for the pedestrian overpass. One of the biggest hang ups in the traffic at Chinook was that people turning to go north on MacLeod had to wait for a lot of pedestrians crossing to and from the train station which really held people up.


Originally posted by SilverRex

Anyways, all these branded name stores, I rather see more individual stores. like the Asian malls in hong kong where you see lots of good stuff for cheap deals.

Eau Claire tried that and failed pretty miserably.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by SilverRex
Anyways, all these branded name stores, I rather see more individual stores. like the Asian malls in hong kong where you see lots of good stuff for cheap deals.

The go to Pacific Mall or shop in Chinatown.

I would guess most of those places wouldn't be able to afford the rent at Chinook.

Cheap Deals = Cheap Malls

[SI_futbol]

I talked to one of the contractors working on the balzac mall up north and he said its going to take up more room then west ed. its suppose to 1.6 miles from end to end. but it wont be bigger then west ed because its only one level where west ed is mutiple levels. but apparently after chinooks renos it'll be near if not bigger then west ed, dont kno how though.

[MackDawg]

Originally posted by 01RedDX

I doubt it's because of this. It's on the opposite side of Chinook.



no they already have the structure up, with a big board saying future site of Jack Carter Chev olds.

[JAYMEZ]

Originally posted by benyl


Ballers don't shop in Calgary. They go to LA or NY for the weekends.


No doubt lol.:thumbsup: , oh and add Vegas

[BoostMonkey]

I heard there's a Victoria Secret coming to Chinook... Looking forward to that... I loves their undies... hehe:D

[cet]

Here is the article from the Herald on the 15 Feb.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=04f897ae-0289-438a-b498-ef569c09b7c9&k=97173


Chinook Centre announces $275-million expansion

Mario Toneguzzi
Calgary Herald


Friday, February 15, 2008



CREDIT: Handout
A computer rendering of the new facade planned for the Chinook Centre.

CALGARY- A $275-million expansion at Chinook Centre will bring a number of new international retailers to the Calgary shopping market.

The expansion will add 180,000 square feet to the existing mall, two levels of heated underground parking with 1,200 stalls, and 80 new stores, of which more than 30 are global brands not currently in the Calgary area, the Herald has learned.

As part of the expansion in the northeast corner of the complex, which is scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2010, Chinook Centre is working with the City of Calgary to build a pedestrian overpass from the mall's food court area across Macleod Trail along the south side of 61st Avenue.

Also in the next three years almost 100 of the existing retailers in the mall will have leases expiring that will either be renewed or replaced or relocated, said Terry Napper, the shopping centre's general manager.

"If you look at it this way, by August 2010 we're going to have almost 200 brand new stores opening. It's like building a brand-new regional shopping centre all over again," he said.

"Demand for retail space in Calgary remains incredibly strong and many U.S. retailers are choosing Calgary before Vancouver or Toronto to enter the Canadian market."

The additional retail space is currently 75 per cent pre-leased, said Darryl Schmidt, director of leasing in Calgary for Cadillac Fairview Corp. Ltd., which owns Chinook Centre.

"And I've got two or three (potential) tenants for every single space that's remaining. We've probably got double the demand for the overall (leasing space). It's 188,000 square feet net new and there's probably 350,000 to 400,000 square feet of demand," said Schmidt.

"There's a big chunk of them that are new to market, first to market, and there's more coming. Chinook and Calgary have finally made it to that realm where it's an entry point now for a lot of international-based retailers. It's on the map because the consumption is so strong in Calgary. The disposable income is so good. The demographics are right because it's younger families . . . We're in a sweet spot right now."

Some of the new retailers committed to the opening at the new Chinook expansion include Harry Rosen, Lacoste, Coach, Miss Sixty\ Energie, Anne Klein, BCBG, Kiehls, GEOX, Aldo Collection, Marciano, DC Shoes, Parasuco. Other first-time high-end retailers are expected to officially announce their entry to the market in the near future.

Schmidt said 33 tenants in the expansion will be new to the Calgary market.
"We're excited to add our name to the growing list of high-end and luxury retailers at Chinook Centre," said Larry Rosen, CEO and chairman of Harry Rosen Inc. "When it became clear to us that we needed to add a second store to satisfy our clients in this booming market, Chinook Centre - as Calgary's leading suburban shopping centre - was the natural choice for us to best expand our operations here."

Chinook recently surpassed a benchmark achieved by only a handful of malls throughout the country, including the Toronto Eaton Centre and Yorkdale. It hit $906 sales per square foot at the end of December.

The sales-per-square-foot number is an industry standard calculated by looking at the cumulative sales figures of stores in shopping centres with less than 15,000 square feet over a 12-month period. Only a few malls in the country are over $900.

The more than one-million-square-foot Chinook Centre, with 200 stores, undertook a $250-million redevelopment in 1998 that encompassed the entire shopping centre. The project was completed in 2001 and added numerous features including an expanded food court.

"The strength of this place is its history and the fact that it's so successful today. Darryl's problem today is he doesn't have enough space to lease. He's saying no to more people than he is yes," said Napper.

Pre-site work on the new building expansion has begun.
"From an operational point of view, our biggest message over the next two and a half years is we're still open for business and we've got almost 4,300 parking stalls still available," said Napper. [email protected]

© Calgary Herald 2008

[JAYMEZ]

^^ Awesome! I heard Chanel Boutique is coming as well. And I bet Hollister and Ambercrombie will come. Hopefully we can get some high end guys clothing stores with more selection than most the crap in Calgary.

[BigMass]

wow, more room to fit in more shitty chain clothing stores that are all the same :rolleyes:

remember when malls had arcades? collectible card shops, comic book stores, and other mom and pop businesses? Yeah that’s when they didn’t suck. Now it’s the same old shit store after store. I can’t think of a more boring place to go to now a days than “The Mall”

[Schwa]

Yay! More popped collars and high school chicks with Coach purses!

[98type_r]

Originally posted by BigMass
wow, more room to fit in more shitty chain clothing stores that are all the same :rolleyes:

remember when malls had arcades? collectible card shops, comic book stores, and other mom and pop businesses? Yeah that’s when they didn’t suck. Now it’s the same old shit store after store. I can’t think of a more boring place to go to now a days than “The Mall”

:werd: its damn near impossible to kill time at a mall now.

[Impreza]

This is great news! I just hope the traffic congestion will be fixed by then.

[Godfuader]

Originally posted by benyl


Ballers don't shop in Calgary. They go to LA or NY for the weekends.
:thumbsup: Although it would be nice if they had a "high-end" wing with LA style valet. Stores like Saks off 5th, A|X would do really well in Calgary...but then you have everyone running around with the same styles, which is one of the reasons I dont shop in Calgary anymore.

[Odysseyus]

Glenmore and Macleod are both major arteries for the SW. I think our city planners are retarded to allow further congestion at that intersection.

[The Cosworth]

Originally posted by pf0sh0
Chinook should get a playdium or w.e the fuck it's called, basically a sick arcade with games like INITIAL D and DDR.

yeah it is playdium, they had an arcade at Metrotown (Burnaby) and West Ed at one point.

I would spend money at an arcade, would be fun





by the way it is BALZAC

not you pf0sh0

[Maddog55]

Originally posted by Odysseyus
Glenmore and Macleod are both major arteries for the SW. I think our city planners are retarded to allow further congestion at that intersection.

What they're planning will actually REDUCE congestion in that area:


......two levels of heated underground parking with 1,200 stalls.....
More parking spaces = less gridlock entering the center

....Chinook Centre is working with the City of Calgary to build a pedestrian overpass from the mall's food court area across Macleod Trail along the south side of 61st Avenue.

Especially during rush hours, the pedestrian traffic across McLeod pretty much stops all right and left turn traffic from 61st Ave....taking this out will speed and free up traffic tremendously.

Most of this urban planning is probably due to the engineers with Cadillac Fairview than City planners. I say its a good thing.

[Redlyne_mr2]

OMG traffic will be a nightmare... I would rather slit my wrists than visit that place during Xmas.

[Odysseyus]

Originally posted by Maddog55


What they're planning will actually REDUCE congestion in that area:


More parking spaces = less gridlock entering the center


Especially during rush hours, the pedestrian traffic across McLeod pretty much stops all right and left turn traffic from 61st Ave....taking this out will speed and free up traffic tremendously.

Most of this urban planning is probably due to the engineers with Cadillac Fairview than City planners. I say its a good thing.

Cadillac Fairview is not dropping millions in dough unless they are expecting more shoppers to come to Chinook. More shoppers==more gridlock. If they were just adding parking spaces that might have some marginal improvement in traffic flow.

What they really should do is remove all of the lights and turning bays from Macleod to Chinook centre. Put up a parking lot on the other side of Macleod (is this really happening) and force people to walk over McLeod on the +15.

Besides, if there is a mall in the city that doesn't need renovation and expansion, it's Chinook. Now that Westbrook is getting a C train station, I think the existing mall there should be plowed to the ground and replaced with a multi-story shopping complex. The Ctrain station should be built right into the mall... finally we'd have a place you could go shopping without needing a car.

[Maddog55]

Originally posted by Odysseyus




What they really should do is remove all of the lights and turning bays from Macleod to Chinook centre. Put up a parking lot on the other side of Macleod (is this really happening) and force people to walk over McLeod on the +15.



Did you not read the article?? thats exactly what they ARE doing. :rolleyes:

[sexualbanana]

Originally posted by Maddog55


Did you not read the article?? thats exactly what they ARE doing. :rolleyes:

They're not putting up a new parking structure (at least that's what I got out of the article). The biggest change that will effect traffic will be the pedestrian overpass.

[Maddog55]

Originally posted by sexualbanana


They're not putting up a new parking structure (at least that's what I got out of the article). The biggest change that will effect traffic will be the pedestrian overpass.


....two levels of heated underground parking with 1,200 stalls

To me that sounds like more parking...

:dunno:

Maybe we're just not understanding each other. I've worked on many large mall reno's. I've worked on TWO of Cadillac Fairview projects.
They just don't slap up a bunch of parking and hope for the best. Mark my words...when this whole project is completed...the traffic congestion will be way less. with another two floors of underground parking and a walkway overtop of McLeod at 61st ave...there will be less congestion.

UNTIL then its gonna be a nightmare down there, I agree. But they're plans will be good in the long run. Just like the whole Glenmore/McLeod/Elbow expansion...pure hell for a couple of years..but good in the long run.