Steady progress continues to be made on Ivanhoé Cambridge’s Tsawwassen Mills shopping centre in British Columbia ahead of its projected Oct. 5 opening.

“Base-building construction is moving quickly, with the vast majority of exterior improvements complete,” said Ivanhoé Cambridge retail development director Jeff Brown.

“Interior construction is now starting to focus on common-area finishes, with retail tenants starting to take possession of their spaces in June.” 

Additional retailers were recently announced as part of the mix of premium fashion-brand outlet stores, dining and entertainment options expected to draw customers from the Greater Vancouver region, Vancouver Island and the United States.

Tsawwassen Mills is located at Highway 17 and 52nd Street on Tsawwassen First Nation lands. It’s a 30-minute drive north of the Washington border and less than five kilometres from the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal.

It’s easily accessible from Richmond, Vancouver, Surrey, Delta, Langley, Burnaby and New Westminster.

Tsawwassen Mills retail tenants

The 1.2-million-square-foot indoor shopping centre will be home to a 145,000-square-foot Bass Pro Shops and a 32,687-square-foot Saks OFF 5TH. Other anchor tenants will include DSW Designer Show Warehouse, Forever 21, H&M, Pro Hockey Life, Marshalls, Nike Factory Store, Old Navy, Sport Chek, Tommy Hilfiger Outlet, Urban Planet/West 49 and Winners.

Aritzia, Banana Republic Factory Store, Brooks Brothers Factory Store, Browns, Calvin Klein Outlet, Gap Factory Store, GUESS Outlet, Ever New, The Outlet by Harry Rosen, L’Occitane en Provence, Lucky Brand Jeans Outlet and Marc Cain will be among the other stores that will help push Tsawwassen Mills up to about 200 brands.

“We are very pleased with the leasing activity that we have had to date and the amount of interest that has been expressed by unique and new-to-market retailers,” said Brown. “We are forecasting to open Tsawwassen Mills at or above our budgeted occupancy target.”

Restaurants will include Milestones and Montana’s BBQ & Bar. There will be an 1,100-seat food court and 6,000 parking spots.

Job creation

Tsawwassen Mills is modelled on Ivanhoé Cambridge’s CrossIron Mills near Calgary and Vaughan Mills in the Greater Toronto Area. Ivanhoé Cambridge, the real estate subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, owns 100 per cent of Tsawwassen Mills.

Construction began in January 2014 and has created approximately 1,800 jobs during core building construction and 4,500 jobs during peak construction. It’s anticipated about 3,000 full- and part-time employees will work at the mall.

Several Tsawwassen First Nation joint venture companies won contracts to build components of the project and significant offsite infrastructure was delivered alongside the construction of the shopping centre.  

“The road improvements have been largely completed, with the Highway 17 improvements open to the public and the remaining roads to be finished within the next one to two months,” said Brown.

Nearby development

Property Development Group is developing a power centre called Tsawwassen Commons directly north of Tsawwassen Mills. It will be about 550,000 square feet in size and be anchored by Walmart, Canadian Tire and Rona. 

“Once the malls open, the property tax generated will provide Tsawwassen First Nation with the financial stability to invest in the preservation of their culture now and well into the future,” said Brown. “Ongoing employment and business opportunities have been created for Tsawwassen First Nation members through the Tsawwassen Mills project.”   

The long-range plans for the Tsawwassen First Nation lands call for approximately four million square feet of industrial development and 3,500 residential units. The initial phases of residential and industrial building are currently under construction.