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Midtown Plaza (Saskatoon)
Encyclopedia
Midtown Plaza is a shopping mall
in Downtown Saskatoon
, Saskatchewan
, Canada, that is owned by the Oxford Properties Group. The two main anchors are Sears Canada
and The Bay
and the shopping centre has a total store count of approximately 130 stores, making it the largest shopping centre in Saskatchewan. The mall was built on the former site of the city's main railway station as part of a major inner city redevelopment project in the 1960s that also saw construction of a freeway, the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge, and TCU Place
a major arts-convention complex.
The mall officially opened with a full complement of 51 stores and services on July 30, 1970; however, one of its anchor tenants, Simpson-Sears (now Sears Canada) opened for business in 1968.
Also part of the Midtown Plaza complex is CN Towers – renamed in 2006 "The Tower at Midtown", an office block that was for most of the 1970s the tallest building in Saskatoon. The 12-story tower is 57 m (187 ft) in height. Besides professional offices, from the 1970s to the early 2000s it also housed the broadcast facilities for the city's Canadian Broadcasting Corporation affiliate, CBKST
.
The mall is served by the province's largest underground parking garage and two above-ground parking lots to the north and south of the mall.
, with Kresge's discount department store serving as a junior anchor. A Dominion
grocery store and a branch of the Famous Players movie theatre chain were added to the mall in its early years. The Midtown 2 was a two screen theatre that operated from 1970-2000. In the mid-1980s, Dominion closed its Saskatchewan locations and the space was used as special events show room for a time (best known for hosting extravagant Christmas season displays) before being renovated into a food court
in the late 1980s; the redevelopment of this part of the mall sparked the full-scale renovation that resulted in the addition of a second floor in the early 1990s, as well as an alteration of the building's facade into a design based upon the lines of the original rail station.
On August 16, 1976, a one-ton piece of concrete fell off the side of the CN Towers, crashing into the mall below; the mall and the office block were subsequently closed for several days while engineers assessed the building's integrity.
The Eaton's store closed after that chain's collapse in the late 1990s and a few years later was replaced by The Bay, which vacated its five-storey location on 2nd Avenue North in favor of moving into the mall. The movie theatre closed in the late 1990s as well, and after standing unoccupied by a permanent tenant for a number of years, by the late 2000s a portion of the theatre location was taken up by smaller retailers.
In the early 1980s a small boutique-style shopping centre called Midtown Village opened adjacent to the west side of the mall on Idylwyld Drive
. In 1989 it was purchased by Midtown Plaza but remained mostly vacant
before being leased by Saskatchewan Property Management Corporation Community Services. It was demolished in 2007 and turned into additional mall parking. Another addition to the complex was the construction of a Toys "R" Us store in the late 1990s. This store is not physically connected to the mall, being built on a section of the plaza's south parking lot and separated from the mall by 20th Street, but is still considered part of Midtown Plaza.
-Eddie Bauer
-Urban Planet (UP)
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
in Downtown Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Canada, that is owned by the Oxford Properties Group. The two main anchors are Sears Canada
Sears Canada
Sears Canada Inc. is a retailer, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, that operates in all provinces and territories across Canada with a network of 196 corporate stores, 195 dealer stores, 38 home improvement showrooms, 108 Sears Travel offices and a nationwide home maintenance, repair, and...
and The Bay
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
and the shopping centre has a total store count of approximately 130 stores, making it the largest shopping centre in Saskatchewan. The mall was built on the former site of the city's main railway station as part of a major inner city redevelopment project in the 1960s that also saw construction of a freeway, the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge, and TCU Place
TCU Place
TCU Place, formerly known as the Saskatoon Centennial Auditorium, is a convention and arts centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Situated in the Central Business District it is located next to Midtown Plaza....
a major arts-convention complex.
The mall officially opened with a full complement of 51 stores and services on July 30, 1970; however, one of its anchor tenants, Simpson-Sears (now Sears Canada) opened for business in 1968.
Also part of the Midtown Plaza complex is CN Towers – renamed in 2006 "The Tower at Midtown", an office block that was for most of the 1970s the tallest building in Saskatoon. The 12-story tower is 57 m (187 ft) in height. Besides professional offices, from the 1970s to the early 2000s it also housed the broadcast facilities for the city's Canadian Broadcasting Corporation affiliate, CBKST
CBKST
CBKST is a television station owned by the CBC in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It is a semi-satellite of CBKT in Regina and airs separate commercials....
.
The mall is served by the province's largest underground parking garage and two above-ground parking lots to the north and south of the mall.
History
Midtown Plaza opened in 1969 as a single-level mall with approximately 60 stores, with its official grand opening occurring on July 30, 1970. Initially, the mall's anchor tenants were the department stores Sears Canada (then known as Simpson-Sears) and Eaton'sEaton's
The T. Eaton Co. Limited was once Canada's largest department store retailer. It was founded in 1869 in Toronto by Timothy Eaton, an Irish immigrant. Eaton's grew to become a retail and social institution in Canada, with stores across the country, buying offices across the globe, and a catalogue...
, with Kresge's discount department store serving as a junior anchor. A Dominion
Dominion Stores (Ontario)
Dominion Stores was once a national chain of supermarkets in Canada, which was still known as the Dominion of Canada at the time of the company's founding. The chain was founded in 1919 in Ontario and was later acquired by Conrad Black's Argus Corporation...
grocery store and a branch of the Famous Players movie theatre chain were added to the mall in its early years. The Midtown 2 was a two screen theatre that operated from 1970-2000. In the mid-1980s, Dominion closed its Saskatchewan locations and the space was used as special events show room for a time (best known for hosting extravagant Christmas season displays) before being renovated into a food court
Food court
A food court is generally an indoor plaza or common area within a facility that is contiguous with the counters of multiple food vendors and provides a common area for self-serve dining. Food courts may be found in shopping malls and airports, and in various regions may be a standalone development...
in the late 1980s; the redevelopment of this part of the mall sparked the full-scale renovation that resulted in the addition of a second floor in the early 1990s, as well as an alteration of the building's facade into a design based upon the lines of the original rail station.
On August 16, 1976, a one-ton piece of concrete fell off the side of the CN Towers, crashing into the mall below; the mall and the office block were subsequently closed for several days while engineers assessed the building's integrity.
The Eaton's store closed after that chain's collapse in the late 1990s and a few years later was replaced by The Bay, which vacated its five-storey location on 2nd Avenue North in favor of moving into the mall. The movie theatre closed in the late 1990s as well, and after standing unoccupied by a permanent tenant for a number of years, by the late 2000s a portion of the theatre location was taken up by smaller retailers.
In the early 1980s a small boutique-style shopping centre called Midtown Village opened adjacent to the west side of the mall on Idylwyld Drive
Idylwyld Drive
Idylwyld Drive is an arterial road in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It is one of the main roads in and out of the downtown area of the city.On the south side of the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge, it is a freeway and is known as the Idylwyld Freeway. It eventually turns into Circle Drive, just east of...
. In 1989 it was purchased by Midtown Plaza but remained mostly vacant
Dead mall
A dead mall or greyfield is a shopping mall with a high vacancy rate or a low consumer traffic level, or that is dated or deteriorating in some manner. Many malls in the United States are considered "dead" when they have no surviving anchor store or successor that could serve as an entry into or...
before being leased by Saskatchewan Property Management Corporation Community Services. It was demolished in 2007 and turned into additional mall parking. Another addition to the complex was the construction of a Toys "R" Us store in the late 1990s. This store is not physically connected to the mall, being built on a section of the plaza's south parking lot and separated from the mall by 20th Street, but is still considered part of Midtown Plaza.
Food services
- A & W
- Booster JuiceBooster JuiceBooster Juice is Canada's largest chain of fresh juice and smoothie bars. The chain specializes in health-conscious smoothies composed of a pure juice, fruit sorbet or vanilla frozen yogurt, frozen fruit, fresh yogurt and ice...
- Edo Japan
- Grandma Lee's Bakery Café
- Kernels
- Koryo
- Laura Secord ChocolatesLaura Secord ChocolatesLaura Secord is a Canadian chocolatier and ice cream company which was founded in 1913 by Frank P. O'Connor. It was named after the Canadian War of 1812 heroine Laura Secord. As of 2010, it has 125 retail outlets across the country....
- Manchu WokManchu WokManchu Wok is a Chinese fast food trainer in the United States and Canada, similar in concept to Panda Express. Despite the name, the menu does not feature any dishes from traditional Manchurian Cuisine and instead is mostly made up of American Chinese cuisine and Canadian Chinese cuisine...
- Mrs. Vanelli's
- New York FriesNew York FriesNew York Fries is a Canadian fast food restaurant that mainly serves french fries and hot dogs. They also serve poutine, The Works , Veggie Works , and Pepsi-Cola brand beverages.There are locations in nine of the ten provinces in Canada, as well as...
- OPA! Souvlaki
- Orange JuliusOrange JuliusOrange Julius is a chain of fruit drink beverage stores. It has been in business since the late 1920s. The eponymous beverage is a mixture of orange juice, milk, sugar, ice and vanilla flavoring.- History :...
- StarbucksStarbucksStarbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
- SubwaySubway (restaurant)Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
- Taco TimeTaco TimeTaco Time is a fast-food restaurant chain specializing in a limited menu of Mexican foods. The chain offers dine-in, take away, and drive through at about 300 locations....
- Tomas The Cook
- The Berry Barn
- Timothy's World CoffeeTimothy's World CoffeeTimothy's World Coffee is a large Canadian chain of coffeeshops.-Origin and background:Timothy's was founded in 1975 as a retailer of premium roasted coffee beans by Timothy Snelgrove and his wife Teresa Snelgrove. The company was originated as a business-school project Snelgrove undertook while...
Women's clothing
- Addition ElleAddition ElleAddition Elle is a Canadian clothing store chain that specializes in plus-size clothing. The name is considered bilingual according to Quebec's language laws.-Summary:...
- Bryan's Fashions
- Costa Blanca
- Cleo
- FairweatherDylexDylex Limited was one of Canada's largest retailers, involved in the operation of specialty retail stores, such as women's wear, menswear, and family stores...
- Garage Clothing CompanyGarage (clothing)Garage is a clothing store, primarily targeting the teenage girl demographic. Founded in 1975 as a subsidiary of Groupe Dynamite, Inc., Garage currently has locations in Canada, the United States and Dubai.-History:*1975 – Opening of the first Garage store....
- J. Michaels
- La SenzaLa SenzaLa Senza Corporation is a Canadian fashion retailer based in Dorval, Quebec, Canada, which sells lingerie and intimate apparel. The La Senza brand is currently owned by Limited Brands.- History :...
- La Senza ExpressLa SenzaLa Senza Corporation is a Canadian fashion retailer based in Dorval, Quebec, Canada, which sells lingerie and intimate apparel. The La Senza brand is currently owned by Limited Brands.- History :...
- La Vie en Rose
- Northern Reflections
- Motherhood MaternityMothers Work, Inc.Destination Maternity Corporation is the world's largest designer and retailer of maternity apparel. It is based in Philadelphia....
- MariposaMariposaMariposa is the Spanish word for "butterfly". In Portuguese, it is both a synonym for "moth" and "butterfly" .It may also refer to:-Canada:* Mariposa, Saskatchewan, a rural municipality...
- Reitman'sReitmansReitmans Limited is a Canadian retailing company, specializing in women's apparel, that was founded in 1926 by Herman and Sarah Reitman, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
- Ricki's
- Sirens
- Smart Set
- Suzy Shier
- Tabi International
Men's and women's clothing
- American Eagle OutfittersAmerican Eagle OutfittersAmerican Eagle Outfitters is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1977 by Mark and Jerry Silverman as a subsidiary of Retail Ventures, Inc., a company which also owned and operated Silverman's Menswear...
- Below the Belt
- BluenotesBluenotesBluenotes is a Canadian lifestyle clothing brand and was established in 1984. The concept is designed to attract consumers aged 14–24 through its "If Jeans Could Talk" inspired image and casual wear. It has since developed into one of Canada's leading denim retailers...
- Bootlegger
- Boutique of Leathers
- Danier Leather
- Jock Sportswear
- Jersey City Canada
- F2 Fashions
- Le Château
- The GapGap (clothing retailer)The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
- Swimwear etc.
- MexxMexxMexx is an international fashion company that designs clothes and accessories for men, women and children. Mexx creates fashion that is inspired by the energy, style and trends of life in the big city. The Mexx’ metropolitan casual look is smart, classy and self confident.Every piece of Mexx...
- RootsRoots Canada Ltd.Roots Canada Ltd. is a Canadian clothing and lifestyle products retailer. The retail stores sell Roots' own brand of products in Canada, the United States and Asia...
- Sonar
- Urban Behavior
- West 49
- LOL T-Shirts
- Stitches
-Eddie Bauer
-Urban Planet (UP)
Health and beauty
- Shoppers Drug MartShoppers Drug MartShoppers Drug Mart Corporation is Canada's largest pharmacy chain with more than 1,241 stores operating under the names Shoppers Drug Mart in nine provinces and two territories and Pharmaprix in Quebec as well as in Hawkesbury, Ontario....
- Sangsters Health Centres
- LushLush-People:* Archibald Lush, a Welsh school inspector* Billy Lush, an American actor* David Lush, Canadian politician* Ernie Lush, American Baseball player* Jay Laurence Lush, an American geneticist* Jane Lush, a British worker...
- The Body ShopThe Body ShopThe Body Shop International plc, known as The Body Shop, has 2,400 stores in 61 countries, and is the second largest cosmetic franchise in the world, following O Boticario, a Brazilian company...
- Angles Salon Spa
- Hair Affair & Chatters
- Midtown Stylists
- Dr. Strelioff - Optometrist
- General Nutrition Centre
- Pearle Vision
- First Lady Products
- Fruits and Passion
Shoes, bags, and accessories
- AldoAldo GroupeThe ALDO Group is a Canadian corporation that owns and operates a worldwide chain of shoe and accessory stores. The company was founded by Aldo Bensadoun in Montreal, Quebec, in 1972 where its corporate headquarters remain today...
- Bentley
- Buckle It Up!
- CAPZ
- Eddie BauerEddie BauerEddie Bauer Holdings Inc. is a holding company that operates the Eddie Bauer clothing store chain, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, United States. EBH was formed after Eddie Bauer's former parent company, Spiegel, Inc., went bankrupt in 2003...
- Claire's Accessories
- Culture Craze
- Ardene
- Naturalizer
- Foot LockerFoot LockerFoot Locker, Inc. is an American sportswear and footwear retailer, with its headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and operating in approximately 20 countries worldwide. Formerly known as Venator Group, Inc., it is the successor corporation to the F.W. Woolworth Company , and many of...
- Feet First
- Payless ShoeSourcePayless ShoeSourcePayless ShoeSource is a discount footwear retailer founded in Topeka, Kansas in 1956 that is owned by Collective Brands, Inc. In 1961, it became a public company as the Volume Shoe Corporation which merged with the May Department Stores Company in 1979. In the 1980s, Payless was widely known in the...
- Spareparts
- Spring
- Sterling Shoes
- Xcetera
- True Vision Sunwear
- Unic
- Sunglass Hut InternationalSunglass Hut InternationalSunglass Hut is an international retailer of sunglasses and sunglass accessories founded in Miami, Florida in 1971. Sunglass Hut is part of the Italian-based Luxottica Group, the world’s largest eyewear company. As of December 31 2008, the Luxottica Group operated 2,286 stores worldwide, most of...
Telecommunication services
- Airsource (Rogers WirelessRogers WirelessRogers Wireless is a wireless telecommunications provider offering mobile phone and data services throughout Canada using Global System for Mobile Communications and Universal Mobile Telecommunications System technology. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rogers Communications...
) - Moga Mobility (FidoFido SolutionsFido Solutions is a Canadian cellular telephone service provider currently owned by Rogers Communications. It was formerly owned by Microcell Telecommunications. Fido does, however, remain a separate entity from Rogers...
) - Jump.ca (SasktelSaskTelSaskatchewan Telecommunications is a provincial Crown Corporation operating under the authority of the Saskatchewan Telecommunications Act. It is the only remaining Crown Corporation in the Canadian telecommunications industry....
) - Telus MobilityTELUSTelus is a national telecommunications company in Canada that provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services including internet access, voice, entertainment, video, and satellite television. The company is based in Burnaby, British Columbia, part of Greater Vancouver...
- Virgin MobileVirgin Mobile CanadaVirgin Mobile Canada is a cellular telephone company that was launched on March 1, 2005 as a joint venture between Virgin Group and Bell Canada. Since May 7, 2009, it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Bell Mobility. - Pre-launch :...
Electronics, music, movies and games
- EB Games
- HMVHMV GroupHMV is a British global entertainment retail chain and is the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company also operates in Hong Kong and Singapore. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE Fledgling Index...
- The Sony StoreSony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
- The Source by Circuit CityThe Source by Circuit CityThe Source , formerly known as RadioShack and later The Source by Circuit City, is a Canadian electronics retailer with over 800 locations across Canada. Originally part of the American RadioShack chain, The Source is currently financially backed by Bell Canada, which purchased the assets of...
Jewellers
- Peoples Jewellers
- South China Jewelry
- Ben Moss JewellersBen Moss JewellersBen Moss Jewellers is a national jewellery store chain based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Canada. It has stores in as 63 stores located in 39 cities in Canada. The company was founded in 1910 and is the largest family owned jeweller in Canada...
- Charm Diamond Centre
Children's clothing
- Gap KidsGap (clothing retailer)The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
- Mexx KidsMexxMexx is an international fashion company that designs clothes and accessories for men, women and children. Mexx creates fashion that is inspired by the energy, style and trends of life in the big city. The Mexx’ metropolitan casual look is smart, classy and self confident.Every piece of Mexx...
- Please Mum
- The Children's PlaceThe Children's PlaceThe Children’s Place is an American specialty retailer of children’s apparel and accessories founded in 1969. They became publicly traded on the NASDAQ exchange in 1997 under the ticker symbol PLCE...
- Triple Flip
Greeting cards, books and travel agents
- Carlton CardsCarlton CardsCarlton Cards Limited is a Canadan greeting card company. Their lines of cards include Carlton, Gibson and Tender Thoughts. They also distribute the American Greetings line of cards in Canada. This is not to be confused with Carlton Cards Retail, Inc.....
- ColesColes (bookstore)Coles is a Canadian bookstore chain owned by Indigo Books and Music. Coles currently serves as Indigo's brand for small-scale bookstores in locations such as shopping malls...
- Gateway Newsstand
- Hallmark Cards and GiftsHallmark CardsHallmark Cards is a privately owned American company based in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1910 by Joyce C. Hall, Hallmark is the largest manufacturer of greeting cards in the United States. In 1985, the company was awarded the National Medal of Arts....
- Marlin TravelTransat A.T.Transat A.T. Inc. is an international, vertically-integrated tour operator with nearly 20 business units in 8 countries. The company is headquartered in Montreal.-History:...
Miscellaneous
- Apple Art Works
- Quarks
- Quilts Etc.
- Stokes
- Stitch It
- Sears Keys & Engraved Gifts
- Things Engraved