The Heritage Place Shopping Centre in Owen Sound could potentially see a big change in the future.
On Tuesday, the Owen Sound Committee of Adjustment approved a motion that would allow the former Zellers store to be split up into as many as five smaller stores.
The application allows the mall to increase its total ancillary retail from 1300 square meters to 1950 square meters.
If Zellers were to be split up into a maximum of five additional stores, each would be 1200 square meters each.
General Manager Michelle Schleimer says it allows both the applicant — KC Heritage Inc — and the mall to be flexible going forward.
KingSett Capital out of Toronto owns the 26 year old mall and it is managed by Toronto-based 20 VIC Management Inc.
Schleimer says cutting the former department store into smaller ones wouldn’t be a bad thing because you could bring in different types of uses but bringing in the right brand would also be a good asset.
The General Manager notes that this takes time and they have to be strategic with whom they choose to bring in because some stores might not work in Owen Sound.
The Heritage Place Shopping Centre is required to have at least one department store under the Official Plan.
With Sears Canada on rocky grounds, Schleimer was quick to shoot down concerns over the future of the store in Owen Sound.
She says the Sears at the mall is probably one of the best in the country number-wise and that it is the right fit for the Scenic City.
The mall General Manager says Sears is in it for the long haul.
Jon Kepler, a downtown Owen Sound business owner, says the decision to allow Zellers to be split up won’t affect business owners in the city’s core.
The space being offered at the mall exceeds what is being leased downtown.
The motion applies to the entire mall and not just the former department store.
