Gateway Mall’s new director of leasing says the downtown shopping centre is looking for a midsized grocery store, local businesses and other new tenants as the mall’s new owners begin putting their revitalization plans into action.
Greg Dionne has returned to Gateway after previously managing the mall for 28 years. He left in 2012, the same year he was first elected mayor of Prince Albert.
Dionne said the new owners approached him about returning and share his goal of bringing more activity back to the shopping centre.
“They want to return the mall back to the days when I was here, when it was almost full,” Dionne said.
He acknowledged that rebuilding Gateway will look different than it did during his first time managing the mall. Many of the national retailers that once filled shopping centres, including Sears, Zellers and Eaton’s, are gone, meaning Gateway will have to look at different uses for its vacant spaces.
Dionne said one advantage is a new rent structure that makes the mall more accessible to smaller and locally owned businesses.
“I really want to encourage local businesses,” he said. “We’re almost open to any offer.”
He said the mall can accommodate different types of tenants, including retail, office space and other uses that can help bring people into the building.
One possibility being actively pursued is a grocery store.
Dionne also clarified earlier discussion about the possibility of Costco coming to Gateway. Asked whether Costco was a realistic prospect, Dionne said it was not and said the owner’s earlier reference was intended to describe the type of grocery presence they hoped to attract.
Instead, Dionne said Gateway is looking for a midsized grocery store that could serve downtown residents.
“We’re on the hunt for a grocery store,” he said, adding that he believes there is a need because of the number of seniors living downtown and in the surrounding area.
The former Sears space is also being prepared for potential tenants. Dionne said the roughly 56,000-square-foot area could work for an educational institution or another organization requiring a large amount of space.
He said the former Sears area has its own ventilation, power and water and can function largely as a separate building within the mall.
Gateway is also cleaning out vacant areas and making repairs so the spaces can be shown to prospective tenants. That includes roof and leak repairs, cleaning and preparing former anchor spaces so businesses can better visualize how they could use them.
Dionne said leasing efforts have already started.
He said an offer for approximately 3,500 square feet was sent to a prospective tenant on the morning of the interview, but he would not identify the business until an agreement is signed.
“The only time you’ll hear me speak about a store is when I have the paperwork in front of me and signed,” Dionne said.
He said keeping negotiations private is important because Gateway competes with other commercial areas in Prince Albert, including Cornerstone, for tenants.
Dionne said Gateway still has advantages as an enclosed shopping centre, particularly during Prince Albert winters. He said customers can park once and visit several businesses without having to drive between individual stores.
He also sees Gateway as an important part of the wider downtown.
“It’ll be one of the draws to come downtown,” he said. “I’ll call it the anchor for the downtown.”
Dionne said his goal is straightforward. A year from now, he wants people walking through Gateway to see more occupied storefronts than empty ones.
He said he also intends to be cautious about announcing prospective tenants before deals are complete.
“I will not overpromise and underdeliver,” Dionne said. “If you’re going to make a statement, you better be able to live with that statement.”
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
