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Tsawwassen Mills taking shape

1.2 million-square-foot regional shopping centre will have 200 stores, including Bass Pro Shop
mall
The Optimist was given a tour of the under-construction Tsawwassen Mills shopping complex this week. Bass Pro Shop is to open next spring while other stores are slated for a fall 2016 opening.

It's a beehive of activity as the massive Tsawwassen Mills shopping complex takes shape.

Hundreds of construction workers from many different trades have erected the buildings that will eventually house the 1.2 million-square-foot regional shopping centre that will change the face of retail in the Lower Mainland.

The IvanhoƩ Cambridge project, based on the company's huge CrossIron Mills mall outside of Calgary and Vaughan Mills in the Greater Toronto area, is located at the Tsawwassen First Nation, just off Highway 17A and 52nd Street.

Director of development Jeff Brown gave the Optimist a tour of the new facility this week, saying a project of such size is certainly complex, but they have the experience of what it takes to build them.

Having 200 stores, Tsawwassen Mills will be mostly a fashionoriented mall with a mix of outlet and other stores, but also a wide range of other products and services to enhance the shoppers' experience.

"The success of the Mills has been because we've been able to attract a really good mix of tenants. They can be the larger retailer that's national but also the smaller regional and even local. They've done really well," Brown said.

Surrounded by new roads that will provide different points of entry, the buildings housing the 16 anchors on the outside have gone up with work also underway on the interior. The biggest of the anchors is a Bass Pro Shop at 145,000 square feet. The outdoor recreation giant will not only be selling merchandise but will also have a big aquarium, a boat repair facility, restaurant as well as a bowling alley with extended hours. That building is beginning to resemble a huge hunting or fishing lodge.

Bass Pro is to open next spring but all the other stores are scheduled to open at the same time in October 2016.

The various sections of the mall will have special themes, including a Coast Salish area with First Nation art, and between each neighbourhood there are transition zones.

The neighborhood closest to Bass Pro will have sports retailers including some that will be making their first appearance in this province. Within that area of the mall will be a massive dome shaped skylight with wood trim, having big screen TVs attached. Under the dome will be seating with leather couches, which could be considered a man cave for guys to relax while their significant others are shopping.

Another court area will host fashion shows and seasonal events in the mall. The 1,100-seat food court with its wood ceiling is also taking shape.

The mall structure was designed with flexibility in mind in case future store renovations are undertaken including walls being moved. Brown noted all the retailers will have the opportunity to take over the final building and custom design of their spaces once the initial construction is complete.

While it will still be a while for fixtures and finishes, things have gone a long way with most of the electrical and service pipes installed, as well as some of the parking lot which will eventually have over 6,500 spaces.

Talks are taking place with TransLink about increasing the frequency of service, but the company also plans to start its own shuttle service from the Tsawwassen ferry terminal and is looking at shuttles from elsewhere.

"We do a large tourist trade at these Mills shopping centres. We have a full-time tourism manager that we will create for this project, on site working in the shopping centre," Brown said.

Tsawwassen Mills will have a workforce of well over 3,000 people once completed. As far as how many customers are expected to go through the doors, Brown noted CrossIron Mills, which is already undergoing an expansion, has about nine million customers annually. Bass Pro is the only confirmed tenant here but more tenant news is coming in the next few weeks.

Brown added it will be quite an experience just to enjoy a drink at one of the restaurants at either side of one of the entrances, enjoying the artwork, surrounding landscape and comings and goings of shoppers.

Meanwhile, the adjacent Tsawwassen Commons shopping mall, comprising about 550,000 square feet, is also expected to fully open by next fall. A Property Development Group project, it will house such retailers as Rona, Canadian Tire and Walmart. Construction of that mall is still at the pre-load phase.