The “evolving” face of retail in Canada is shrinking Kelowna’s largest shopping centre—slightly.
Orchard Park Shopping Centre is planning to reduce the size of it’s south wing by 14,600-square-feet, leaving 34,000-square-feet in the wing, and an overall mall size of 814,000-square-feet.
“The proposed changes to the mall involve a partial demolition of the existing south wing of the building, subsequent reduction in floor area and expansion and reconfiguration of the adjacent surface parking lot,” says a city planning department report going to city council Monday.
“This project represents the second phase of the proposed renovation works to the north and south wings of the mall.”
READ MORE: Kelowna’s Orchard Park Shopping Centre to reconfigure former Sears space
According to the report, the latest proposed building renovation is a result of what city staff say is the evolving retail industry and the changes have been proposed to help the mall adapt to those changes.
The reduction will take place in the space that was previously home to the large Sear’s Home Store the mall shopping centre.
At the other end of the mall, the space that was home to the main Sears department store is currently being renovated to house a new Mark’s Warehouse store. That project has already reduced the size of the mall by about 42,000-square feet and prompted changes to the parking lot outside the north wing, facing Dilworth Drive. One of the two mall entrances off Dilworth Drive has also been closed as a result of the work.
On Monday, city council will be asked to approve a development permit for the renovations to the south wing, work expected to see the space divided up to house five new stores.
In addition to the renovations, more parking will be added at the mall, with 126 new parking spaces created
The Orchard Park Shopping Centre originally opened at Harvey Avenue and Dilworth Drive in the early 1970s and is now the largest shopping mall between Calgary and Vancouver.
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