Quebec City’s Galeries de la Capitale shopping and entertainment centre is enhancing its $50-million redevelopment project with an additional $40 million in upgrades to its common areas.

“We want to provide an experience to the consumers visiting our mall,” said general manager Serge Rossignol. “Starting at the site entrances, moving toward the building and inside of it, we are working to achieve this experience for our customers.”

Galeries de la Capitale, which opened in 1981 and is owned by Oxford Properties and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, began a $50-million redevelopment last spring to create a more engaging and eco-friendly dining experience at Espace Gourmet.

This first phase will be completed in August.

“The main improvements were to relocate the old food court on the second level near the Méga Parc,” said Rossignol. “We have also introduced full-service covers for our clientele to have the experience of dining in the shopping mall.”

Environmentally friendly

Increased composting and recycling as part of these changes will make the centre greener.

Galeries de la Capitale will also add clothing and accessories retailer Old Navy and a BCBGMAXAZRIA women’s fashion store, while welcoming back a Dollarama bargain outlet, this spring.

“We are constantly working to bring tenants that will respond to the demand of our consumers,” said Rossignol.

The owners are investing an additional $40 million to enhance the customer experience through renovating all mall entrances and corridors, including floors, ceilings, lighting, handrails and ways to help patrons navigate the complex. The work will begin in February and is scheduled for completion in November 2017.

The two-storey Galeries de la Capitale has a surface area of almost two million square feet and features 280 shops and restaurants, with anchor tenants including Best Buy, Toys “R” Us, The Bay, Sears, Simons and a freestanding RONA.

It provides such services as a personal stylist, coatcheck, information and customer service kiosks, purchase storage, a baby’s area, and stroller, walker and wheelchair rentals.

Indoor amusement park

Galeries de la Capitale has also been home since 1988 to Méga Parc, the second-largest indoor amusement park in North America. It offers 17 family-friendly attractions, including a variety of rides, a skating rink, bowling alleys and a climbing wall. The complex also features an IMAX movie theatre with Canada’s largest screen.

“We are leaders in what we do,” said Rossignol. “Our customers have asked for a revamped mall, new retailers as well as upgraded ones, which we are aligning ourselves toward.

“We are proud of what we do and are pleased to be unique and able to provide under the same roof shopping, dining and entertainment.” 

(Image above compiled from pictures on the Reliance Construction website)