The year countdown is back on for the mega malls taking shape at the Tsawwassen First Nation.
Tsawwassen Mills and Tsawwassen Commons have a grand opening planned for October 2016 and according to the developers, everything is on schedule.
The malls had been scheduled to open next spring, but that timeline was pushed back this summer.
Ivanhoe Cambridge and Property Development Group are developing 1.75 million square feet of shopping and entertainment space at the TFN.
Tsawwassen Mills is an Ivanhoe Cambridge project comprising 1.2 million square feet of destination retail. It's following the model of the huge CrossIron Mills mall north of Calgary and Vaughan Mills north of Toronto.
"As Canada's outlet leader, Tsawwassen Mills will offer shoppers a unique mix of traditional retail, outlet venues (manufacturer outlets, specialty retail outlets and department store outlets) and category dominant stores that are not typically found in other malls in Vancouver," the company states.
Having 200 stores, including 16 anchors, as well as a 1,100-foot food court, Tsawwassen Mills has reached some significant points in its construction process.
"As we enter into the final year of construction with exterior finishes of the building nearly complete, interior works will begin, such as floors, walls and ceilings," the company states. "Paving of the 6,000-stall parking lot is also well underway, and work will soon begin on outfitting the interior of major marquee tenant Bass Pro Shops." Some of the jobs to be done over the next three months include completing the roof and skylight installation, beginning work on the mall's main entries and completing the majority of the exterior wall finishes and window installation for Bass Pro Shops.
About 145,000-square feet in size, that store is slated to open next May, five months in advance of the rest of the mall.
Having such features as a colourful bowling alley, log and rock work, large indoor
aquarium, water features and a restaurant (Uncle Buck's Fish Bowl Grill), it will be the first Bass Pro Shops location in B.C. "Bass Pro Shops' awardwinning outdoor stores are known for combining retail with entertainment, conservation and outdoor education. More than just a fishing and hunting store, Bass Pro Shops stores offer equipment and clothing for hiking, backpacking, wildlife viewing, camping, outdoor cooking and more," the company's website explains.
The store will also have a gift and nature centre selling a wide variety of outdoor items, everything from bird feeders to furniture, as well as an expansive boat showroom.
So far, Bass Pro Shops is the only confirmed tenant at the Mills, although more news about which retailers will be locating at the mall is expected in the coming weeks.
A Property Development Group project, Tsawwassen Commons is an outdoor mall comprising 550,000 square feet. Walmart, Rona, Canadian Tire, Petsmart, Marks Work Warehouse and Dollarama have been confirmed tenants for some time, while recent additions to the lineup include HomeSense, Metro Liquor and various eateries such as Wings Tap Grill.
More tenant news is expected in the coming weeks as well.
Walmart is slated to open next June with the rest of the mall to open in October.
Meanwhile, as construction continues at the malls, the commute in and out of Tsawwassen has been extra slow as a number of road and highway upgrade projects continue. That work isn't expected to be complete until next May. Those projects include widening the 52nd Street intersection at Highway 17, installing new traffic signals at 52nd and 56th streets to facilitate additional lanes on the highway as well as other road and paving works.
