There's been plenty of mall talk throughout the GTA recently; between the redevelopment of part of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre into Oxford Place, the extensive renovation of and addition to Yorkdale Mall, and the construction and remodeling of countless retail centres throughout the GTA, it's clear that we are a city that loves to shop. Cadillac Fairview has now added another major project to the list with the recent announcement that Sherway Gardens will be getting a substantial new addition as well as an extensive renovation of the current building.

Aerial rendering of new addition, image courtesy of Cadillac Fairview

Sherway Gardens has like many other shopping centres seen multiple renovations through the year in order to accommodate increased demand from both retailers and consumers. What began in 1971 as an S-shaped mall soon became a figure eight, and with the new addition, the building can best be described as an amorphous blob - albeit a brand new, state of the art one.

Aerial map of new addtion, image courtesy of Cadillac Fairview

The expansion will be located on the north side of the mall, adding 210,000 square feet of retail space to the existing 985,124 square feet that is home to 215 unique retailers. Holt Renfrew and Harry Rosen are two current Sherway Gardens retailers who benefit from significantly enlarged space in the northern extension. Cadillac Fairview will also build a new three-level parkade in order to provide 1,200 parking spaces, more than replacing those that will be lost as a result of the expansion.

New entrance to Sherway Gardens, image courtesy of Cadillac Fairview

Beyond the new north expansion Cadillac is planning to 'remerchandise' / renovate 90,000 square feet of existing space. This will include a complete replacement of the ceiling with brand new lighting and the installation of high-quality French limestone floors. We're thrilled to hear that the iconic Zeidler-designed tent that covers the current food court will be restored and preserved—no word yet on whether the sparrows and palm trees will be kept—while the Gourmet Fair food court itself will be moving to the north expansion.

Newly designed interiors, image courtesy of Cadillac Fairview

Cadillac has already announced that Nordstrom will be taking up space where the current Sporting Life is located, with Sporting Life moving into the new expansion. Other confirmed retailers include Henri Bendel, Louis Vuitton, H&M, and Forever 21. Four new full-service restaurants including JOEY and P.F. Chang's will open in the mall.

Nordstrom store frontage, image courtesy of Cadillac Fairview

Harry Rosen store frontage, image courtesy of Cadillac Fairview

The new addition will be designed by Dialog Architects, constructed by PCL and feature interior spaces designed by Gervais Harding. To wrap up the list of impressive changes, Cadillac plans to install a 65,000 square foot green roof atop the addition. Construction is set to begin in January of 2013, and estimated to take 45 months for all phases to be complete.