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The revamp of the once-busy mall was announced recently by the new owners of the mall, Oz Cohen and his business partner, Russell Jacobson. A dramatic new glass edifice is expected to be visually striking on the George and Simcoe streets corner. As well, the creation of a well-lit, central court area of the mall will anchor major changes to the interior. For Glen Lumley, owner of the downtown Mr. Sub franchise on George Street, the revamp of the mall "should be great for businesses in the downtown." "But they have to bring in the big-name tenant. If you get the big fish first, the little fish will follow," he says, noting a major name like The Bay would be great for the mall. "There’s not much left in there now to bring people downtown. But I think the changes they’re making will be good for me. The busier I get, the more staff I hire. It’s a nice circle," he adds. Cathy Flick is the owner of Peterborough Garden and Gift Gallery on George Street. She says she’s excited about the major change for the mall. "I’m hoping it will bring in specialty stores," she says. Cathy says it’s more important the mall attracts lots of new stores, compared to just having the new look by itself. Yet she says the new look will "entice prospective clients." For Jon Bryan, owner of the Mexicali Rosa’s franchise on Water Street, directly across from Peterborough Square, he says the goal "has always been clear" of the new owners – "expansion." "And I think they can make it happen," he says. Jon recalls when Peterborough Square, during the late 1970s and early 1980s, was very busy. He remembers the bustle of people and strength of businesses and thinks the mall can recapture that glory. "They definitely need new tenants and they need those renovations to attract people in the first place. But they also need to be selective with their tenants, too," he cautions, suggesting the mix will be very important. He says the "good work the DBIA does" and attractions and businesses like the jazz festival, Millennium Park and the new MCI call centre all help out in making the downtown core viable. "And people need to remember we have oodles of parking in the downtown. Between the King Street parkade, the Simcoe lot and the underground of Peterborough Square, there’s plenty of parking" to help anchor downtown shopping. |
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Peaceful Communities is reaching more people! The Grassroots Review |
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