The Centre (Saskatoon)

infobox shopping mall
shopping_mall_name = Centre at Circle & 8th

---

image_width = 300
caption = Centre at Circle & 8th "East"
location = 3510 8th Street East - Wildwood, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
opening_date =
developer=
manager= David Bubnick
owner= Morguard Real Estate Investment Trust
number_of_stores = over 90 stores
number_of_anchors = 7 Zellers, Safeway Inc., SportChek, Petcetera, Shoppers Drug Mart, Centre Cinemas and Rainbow Cinemas.
floor_area = 567,000 sq.ft
parking= 2373 including two level free heated underground parking and free above ground parking
floors = 1
website = http://www.thecentremall.com/

The Centre is a major shopping centre located east of the junction of Circle Drive and 8th Street in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It is currently anchored by Zellers, Sportchek, Safeway, Rainbow Cinemas, the Centre Cinemas, Petcetera, Shoppers Drug Mart and Dollarama. Until 2002-2003, Canadian Tire and Wal-Mart were also part of this mall. They both moved to the big box development of Preston Crossing. The Centre boasts more than 90 shops and services, 9 fine art galleries in Centre East, and a 2-level temperature controlled underground parkade.

The Centre (originally branded as The Centre at Circle and 8th) was created in the mid-1990s through the amalgamation of Wildwood Mall (built in 1978) and Circle Park Mall (built in the mid-1980s, but see below), which were separated by Acadia Drive. When both malls were bought by Devan Properties Inc., the centres were connected by an underground link under Acadia Drive (after the city rejected a proposal that would have resulted in Acadia being closed to traffic). The two "sides" of the mall are now known as "Centre East" and "Centre West".

Wildwood Mall

Opened in 1978, Wildwood Mall (now Centre East) was only the second proper enclosed mall on the east side of Saskatoon. Its original anchor tenants were Woolco, a discount department store, and Dominion, a grocery store. The closure of Dominion in the 1980s resulted in a series of unsuccessful renovation attempts. A food court was added as one attempt, but sat mostly vacant, while the remainder of the former Dominion space was intiially occupied by a home video rental business (Jumbo Video), and then after 1992 an outlet of Pinder's Drugs (later Shopper's Drug Mart). In 1994, Woolco became Wal-Mart, around the time discussions regarding amalgamation with Circle Park Mall began in earnest; during the mid-90s Wildwood Mall had a large number of vacancies.

County Fair Plaza and Circle Park Mall

Centre West was first constructed in the early 1970s as County Fair Plaza. It wasn't really a shopping mall, but more a collection of two major stores (a Zellers and Canada Safeway), along with a few smaller shops including a Pinder's Drug Store (later Shopper's Drug Mart) location. Its construction predated the development of the Wildwood neighbourhood to the south and for years the Plaza was virtually the only major building in the area. In the mid-1980s, the mall underwent a major expansion and refit which saw the addition of some 60 stores, including a new anchor (Canadian Tire), a food court, and expanded Zellers and Safeway locations. The revamped building was renamed Circle Park Mall.

Location

Coordinates: 52°6'48"N 106°35'56"W

References and External Links

* [http://www.frontrowcentre.com/cinema/Saskatchewan/Saskatoon/Rainbow%20Cinemas%20Centre%20@%20Circle%20and%208th_505.html Rainbow Cinemas Centre @ Circle and 8th | Rainbow Cinemas ...]
* [http://www.bigscreen.com/Marquee.php?theater=8527 The BigScreen Cinema Guide: The Marquee - Rainbow Cinemas Centre ...]

ee also

List of shopping malls in Saskatoon