The Port Place Mall rebuild is changing one of Nanaimo’s oldest centres into a village-like shopping destination in the heart of the city.
The first phase of the redevelopment is reaching completion, with workers finishing the exterior of the building.
When finished, it will have a stone facade to give it a village feel, said Mike Lowe, managing director of First Capital Realty, the mall owner.
Current tenants have endured months of renovations. However, CIBC, Medical Arts and the B.C. Liquor Store have moved into new locations.
“We’re happy about that and they’ve done a great job on their stores,” said Lowe. “So far, we’ve been really happy with the timeline.”
The mall will be transformed into an open-area shopping centre with most of the existing building demolished. The former food court location will become a pedestrian corridor and roadway named High Street, connecting to Front Street and Terminal Avenue.
The Centennial Fountain, built by the Nanaimo Italian community in honour of British Columbia’s 100th anniversary of confederation, will remain the central focus of the mall’s front entrance.
An eight-storey commercial residential building is still planned. A 26-storey residential tower located in the north-east section is still a possibility, but is dependent on market demand.