When is the renovation supposed to be completed? I was at Markville recently and it's a very unpleasant place to shop. Many of the stores are closed, too, so it offers little to recommend it.
The new food court (most of what you see above) is opening in the fall, the rest of the work in the common areas will be completed by next summer, and most new stores will be opening for Christmas 2013. It will be unpleasant during the renovations, but this work is long overdue. Once new retailers move in, I expect Markville to be a much more desirable place to shop.
Could anybody tell me what were the original stores for the area that will become the new food court? Are they moved to the upper level or closed indefinitely? Some old photos are greatly appreciated.
I can never keep track of what is where, especially since so many relocations are happening, but here is a list of stores that have shutdown and have no current plans to reopen in Markville (I would bet a few of these will be back eventually): http://www.markville.ca/en/directory/Pages/StoreClosures.aspx
From memory the top level had Pansy's art gallery, a spa, a Bentley and a clothing store. Underneath was a Bulk Barn, tailor shop, LensCrafters, clothing store, nutrition store, Hmv, rug place, Source, Thanos Shoes and a sports store I think. I haven't been down to that end in a while so I'm not sure if some stores on the edge may still be open.
Forever 21: taking the spot where Sportchek is currently.
Apple: entrance by Yogun Fruz to be closed off and Apple Store be built there the salon and shoe repair place gone or relocating. External entrance from parking lot to Apple under consideration.
Not sure how reliable the info is but thought I'd share.
Hey guys, check out this article. It goes in detail about the history of Markville Mall, when and where some big retailers entered (Best Buy, Toys R Us, GoodLife Fitness) and also a little behind the merger between Cadillac and Fairview.
I actually remember when the Goodlife Fitness was a movie theatre and there was a big Lion King mural painted on the outside walls of the theatre..
I remember when the Wal-mart was a Woolco, and there was a Miracle Food Mart grocery store where the food court/Best Buy is now. I think I even worked one Christmas season at the Eaton's.
That mall was never attractive. It would be nice if they could bring it up to the standards of Fairview, but I doubt it. Despite the relative affluence of Markham/Unionville, the place has always seemed cheap-looking, with a poor selection of stores.
The new food court location seems odd... but perhaps they're trying to draw more people to the Sears end of the mall? I'm pleased to hear that an Apple store is coming, though.
No word on Apple yet, but the following have been confirmed:
-Jack 'n Jones
-Forever 21
-Smartset
-Purdy's
-Coach
-Aritzia
I don't find any of these to be all that exciting, but I'm glad to see some higher-end retailers set up shop since it's hopefully a sign that the mall is moving up a notch.
Here are the new food court tenants. It's pretty much what we have now plus AMAYA, which I like. I'm not sure how many stalls there will be, so maybe a few more restaurants will be added. If nothing else, it should be a much more pleasant environment than the current food court.