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Westmount Commons, also referred to as Westmount Mall, and formerly known as Westmount Shopping Centre,[1] is a shopping centre located in London, Ontario. It is located at 785 Wonderland Road South at the northwest corner of Wonderland Road and Viscount Road.
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| Location | London, Ontario, Canada |
|---|---|
| Address | 785 Wonderland Road South |
| Opening date | 1971 |
| Developer | Sifton Properties |
| Management | Bentall Retail Services |
| No. of stores and services | 65 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 4 |
| No. of floors | 2 |
| Website | westmountshoppingcentre |
History
editWestmount Mall's first phase opened initially in 1971 with 15 stores, including a Dominion grocery store as the anchor.
In 1973, the mall expanded, adding about 50 additional retailers, with Horizon as the main anchor. It was at that time the largest mall in Southwestern Ontario.
In 1978, Horizon was closed and converted into an Eaton's department store.
Expansion
editThe mall was completely rebuilt as a two-storey mall, with underground parking and over 160 retailers. Construction began in 1987 and was finished in 1989.
In the early 2000s, a bus stop was added by the London Transit Commission, which services the following routes: 7, 10, 15A, 15B and 24.
By 2000, Eaton's was converted into a Sears department store.[2][3]
Downturn
editBy the early 2000s, Westmount's fortunes experienced a slump. The vacancy rate in the mall took a sharp increase as 40 stores slowly left the mall.[4]
Recent years
editIn 2018, following the closure of Westmount's department store anchor, Sears Canada, the mall was bought for $31.5 million by a Toronto real estate investment firm. KingSett Capital, with partner McCOR Management, purchased the property from Penretail Management in February. The firm has planned to re-brand the mall and announce new anchor tenants and mixed-use developments.
In September 2018, an announcement regarding the former Target store was made, indicating it would be converted to both a "Fit 4 Less" (GoodLife Fitness) gym and office spaces.[5]
It was announced that the mall would change its name from Westmount Shopping Centre to Westmount Commons. It was also announced that there have been plans to develop a six-tower building on the property.[6]
In 2022, Dollarama opened at the mall.[7] In 2023, reptile zoo Reptilia and dog kennel Dogtopia opened at the mall.[1][8]
References
edit- ^ a b "Dog kennel idea for Westmount mall earns a 'good boy' from council committee | London Free Press".
- ^ "Sears buys Eaton's name, eight stores". CBC News. September 21, 1999.
- ^ "Eaton's stores will be in black: in first year, Sears chairman says". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. 18 April 2000. p. B5.
- ^ Nicole Borland (2015-03-28). "Whatever Happened to Westmount Mall?". LondonFuse. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
- ^ Jennifer Bieman (2018-09-21). "Gym, offices planned for Westmount Mall's shuttered Target store". The London Free Press. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
- ^ "'Dynamic': $556M six-tower development proposed for Westmount mall | London Free Press".
- ^ "Westmount Commons Welcomes Leading Canadian Value Retailer Dollarama". 8 October 2021.
- ^ "A reptile zoo at Westmount mall inches closer to opening". CBC News. 2023-02-01. Archived from the original on 2023-05-08.