Bayshore Shopping Centre

Bayshore Shopping Centre

Bayshore Shopping Centre, as seen from the Richmond Road overpass over Highway 417.
Location	Ottawa, Ontario (former city of Nepean)
Coordinates	45°20′50″N 75°48′25″W
Opening date	1973
Management	Ivanhoe Cambridge
Owner	Ivanhoe Cambridge, Kingsett Capital
No. of stores and services	155
No. of anchor tenants	6 (Zellers, Old Navy, Sports Experts, The Bay, HomeSense, Winners)
Total retail floor area	728,047 sq ft or 67,637.8 m2 (total surface)
No. of floors	3
Website	http://www.bayshoreshoppingcentre.com/

Bayshore Shopping Centre is a major shopping mall located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, more specifically in the former city of Nepean, Ontario. The mall is one of the busiest in the National Capital Region as it attracts about 7 million visitors per year from across the city and the surrounding region. The mall is commonly called simply "Bayshore" by local residents. The current general manager of the mall is Denis Pelletier.

Building and stores

The interior of the 3-storey mall has a relatively simple layout, compared to the Rideau Centre and St. Laurent Shopping Centre, having a more central structure. Prominent retail tenants include The Bay, Jean Machine, Winners, HomeSense, Sports Experts, Bath & Body Works, Laura, Zellers, Birks Jewelers, Mexx, Jack & Jones, GAP, Banana Republic, American Eagle Outfitters, Old Navy Aritzia and Aerie among its 150 stores. Restaurants include Subway, KFC, New York Fries & A&W, and are located in its food court on the upper level.

Les Ailes de la Mode (from August 2001 to June 2003) and Market Fresh (From Fall 2004 to December 31, 2005) were also anchor stores that were located in this mall in recent years. Previous tenants included Eaton's, Club Monaco, Polo Ralph Lauren, Toy World, Marks & Spencer, Steinberg's, Miracle Mart, A&A Records, Little Farm, Boots, Sam the Record Man, and the Pik Nik and Steak & Burger restaurants.

Management team

Primary mall personnel as of September 2009 includes:

• Owner: Ivanhoe-Cambridge/Kingsett Capital
• Operator: Ivanhoe-Cambridge
• General Manager: Denis Pelletier
• Operations/Building Manager: Bert Vanderwal
• Accounts/Finance Administrator: Lynn Graham
• Property Manager: Eric Topolnisky
• Building Technician/Operations Assistant: Scott Hindshaw
• Marketing/Sales Director: Angie Russell
• Marketing Assistant: Caroline Seguin
• Operations Assistant: Karen Billings
• Guest Services Supervisor: Michelle Jacob
• Security Supervisor: Stephen Maguire

Construction & Renovations

First phase

• When the mall originally opened in 1973, it consisted of two floors. Its anchors consisted of Steinberg, Miracle Mart, The Bay and Eaton's. In the 1980s, the mall underwent an extensive renovation, including the addition of a third storey, upgraded passenger lift, and an escalator going directly from the ground floor to the top level. The colour scheme was also changed to a green and tan marble design. The original wrought-iron and wood railings were replaced by glass panels. The new design featured large peaked glass panels as the ceiling. Another level was added to the exterior parkade as well.

Second Phase

• Following the 2003 closure of Les Ailes de la Mode, the resulting vacant space on the south side of the first and second levels was reconstructed into two new areas. In the first level, the former corridor was closed and a new corridor and mall entrance created to its east. Stores in the new area include GNC, EB Games, The Body Shop, Shoppers Blvd (which later closed), Scentiments, Carol Baker Visage, Freyja Collections and MotoPhoto. A small eating area was also added, including a few new snack shops: Booster Juice, La Cremière and Cinnabon. Savory's Fine Foods store opened on June 15, 2006 (replacing the defunct Market Fresh store) and the new Pet World opened across from the grocery store on July 13. Savory's Fine Foods closed on August 19, 2007, marking the second exit by a specialty food retailer in the same location. Home Sense took over this space in Fall in 2009.

• On the second level, a new corridor includes stores such as Mexx, Cleo, Timothy's World Coffee, Place Bonbon, Winners and Swarovski. The two new sections of the mall are connected by an elevator and some escalators. Washrooms were added near the Gap replacing the older and smaller ones that were located near the main entrance of the level (by the Bayshore Dental Clinic).

• A new passager elevator opposite to the existing one, that leads to the food court area of the third floor. It was also built to transport a greater number of customers from first to third or vice versa.

• The new Build-A-Bear Workshop opened its doors on June 15, 2006 at the old Cotton Ginny location. Cotton Ginny moved east to beside Northern Reflections, and just across from the new Aritzia store. A new store, Esprit occupied the remaining space starting in October. Also in 2006, Northern Reflections then moved to the location occupied by McIntosh & Watts. La Senza Express also opened during the fall replacing the former Campus Crew store.

• During the summer of 2006, the mall underwent an extensive renovation to its parking deck to replace the structure that existed since the mall's opening. Other renovations may be planned elsewhere across the mall in the future.

Third Phase (2012-2013)

Construction started in 2012 for a further expansion of the mall as well as widespread renovations of the existing portions of the mall and parking area as well as the relocation of the food court. At the same time Zellers will be converted to a Target store as well as an H&M on the first floor.

Anchors

The centre's anchors are as follows:

• The Bay (180,696 sq ft.)
• Old Navy (18,593 sq ft.)
• HomeSense (15,625 sq ft.)
• Sports Experts (16,678 sq ft.)
• Winners (31,912 sq ft.)
• Zellers (124,099 sq ft.) - to be converted as Target by 2013

Events

• In mid-November, Bayshore has its own Santa's Arrival, which consists of a wide array of entertainment for the whole family. This is usually the kick-off of the holiday shopping season in which the mall's hours are extended until 10 pm from Monday to Saturday except Sundays which keeps regular hours (although in previous years the mall also had extended hours on Sundays). During the last week of the Christmas rush, the mall is open until 11:00 pm. Other traditional features of the shopping centre at this period is the Gift Wrapping Service on the third level in which patrons can have their gifts wrapped.

• During the year, Bayshore organizes promotions which includes prizes or contests for their customers. "Magic Hours" is the new type of promotion being conducted in the mall. During these "Magic Hours" events, shoppers can win prizes by filling out the ballots and dropping them at Guest Services. While they're shopping, winners will be announced. In order to claim their prize, the winner must be at the shopping centre. This event benefits the local Candlelighters organisation.

Major criminal incidents

• 14 October 1983: David Utman, a Nepean policeman, was shot to death at the mall by a convict. Peter Michael Collins was handed a life sentence in 1984 for first-degree murder, with the possibility of parole after 25 years. Collins apparently said "Your time is up" before shooting the officer.

• 1 September 1984: Cst. Ralph Erfle and Cst. Robin Easey were shot after interrupting an attempted robbery involving a Brinks truck delivery to the mall's Toronto-Dominion Bank branch. Of the five criminals involved, four were captured and sentenced, the other was shot and killed at the scene. Easey was paralyzed after the incident.

• January 1999: Octavio Eva Gonzalez was murdered in a stabbing at the mall after he finished work there. Benny Jauvin was convicted of manslaughter and was given a net sentence of six years, a jail term some observers considered too lenient. A policeman was shot in the back and is now paralyzed.

Customer services

• On the east end of the first level there are special temporary kiosks, called Merchandising Retail Units (MRUs).

• In the summer of 2005, Bayshore introduced Gift Cards, which can be purchased at the Customer Service Kiosk Desk on the lower level, are available in any denomination and can be used at stores and services throughout the mall.

• Port Pizzazz is a childcare/children's playground area that is operated by the YMCA of Ottawa-Carleton and is located in the third level beside the Bay. It contains a sliding area with a pool of plastic balls, an Xbox game machine, a computer, arts & crafts and many more. Parents can obtain a free hour of childcare for every $75 spent.

Transportation

• The mall is located near the interchanges of provincial highways 417 and 416 in the Nepean sector of Ottawa, via the Richmond Road exits.

• Bayshore Shopping Centre is served by the following routes at the Bayshore Transitway Station:
  2 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 68 69pm 85 96 97 101 152 154 166 167 169 172 173 182 261 262 263 283am 404

• A new Transitway corridor between Bayshore and Pinecrest was built in 2009 in order for Route 96 and 101 to have more direct service to the mall. It is part of the City of Ottawa's West Transitway plan that will provide a rapid transit corridor between Kanata and the Southwest Transitway.

Hours of operation

• Mondays to Saturdays: 09:00-21:00
• Sundays: 10:00-18:00
• The mall is accessible at 07:00 for employees and mall walkers.

Holidays and Christmas period

• Civic Holiday (first Monday of August): 09:00-17:00
• Remembrance Day (November 11): 12:30-21:00 (except Sundays)
• Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve: 09:00-17:00
• Late-November to mid-December and the last week of December (except Sundays): 09:00-22:00
• Last week before Christmas (except Sunday): 09:00-23:00
• Christmas, New Year's Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day & Thanksgiving: Closed

External links

• Bayshore Shopping Centre Official Site
• Ivanhoe Cambridge Official Website
• Ivanhoe Cambridge Leasing Property Portfolio