Will Nordstrom and Simons Open at Winnipeg’s Polo Park?

Image: http://www.wattintl.com

Nordstrom and La Maison Simons could open at Winnipeg’s Polo Park Shopping Centre. A Winnipeg-based retail insider (who is a commercial real estate broker) informs us that Polo Park landlord Cadillac Fairview, along with Winnipeg-based real estate company Shindico, are finalizing a deal to purchase real estate formerly occupied by a sports stadium North of the mall to build a multi-use commercial project including a two-level, 170,000 sq ft Target store.

This would free-up the current 97,200 square foot Zellers space, the right size for a Simons store. Our insider also says Cadillac Fairview wants to buy-out Sears’ 260,000 square foot lease at the South-End of Polo Park for redevelopment. Nordstrom could possibly take 120,000-140,000 square feet of the Sears space, while the rest would be redeveloped to house new retailers including, among others, Winnipeg’s first H&M store.

Floorplan: Cadillac Fairview.

Winnipeg currently lacks an upscale large-format/department store. Holt Renfrew once had a smaller store in Downtown Winnipeg (roughly 20,000 square feet) which has since replaced with a tiny Holt Renfrew boutique carrying some cosmetics and a few accessories.

Polo Park once had a Nordstrom-esq retailer called Bretton’s, partially located in the current Zellers space (see floorplan below – click on it to expand so it’s readable).

Image: Winnipeg Skyscraper Forum, trebor204. Floorplan from 1986. Also Notice Eaton’s where Hudson’s Bay is now located.

We’re excited to be reporting on a potential retail boom in Winnipeg. We’re expanding Retail Insider’s coverage across Canada. If you’ve got any retail insider information in your Canadian community, please feel free to email us: insider@retail-insider.com 

Polo Park Mall website: www.polopark.ca

Nordstrom website: www.nordstrom.com

La Maison Simons website: www.simons.ca