Fix it up, or tear it down: two of the options for Victoriaville Mall
City spends $500k annually to keep south side mall open
Fix it up, or tear it down are the two main options being explored for Victoriaville Mall in Thunder Bay.
The south-side mall, which opened in 1980, is in need of major repairs to its roof and skylights. Buckets can often be seen in the mall during a rainstorm, collecting numerous drips coming from the roof.
The mall also loses money, with the City of Thunder Bay, the mall's owner, subsidizing the centre by over $500,000 per year.
Jeff Palmer, a community planner with Urban Systems, the consultant hired by the city to come up with a recommendation for the mall, said Victoriaville is very connected with downtown Fort William.
"To encourage dialogue, and get people thinking about what Victoriaville could be, what downtown Fort William will look like in 25 years. Really, a visioning exercise about what people want the neighbourhood to be going forward, where it is today and where there's opportunities and where there's shortcomings."
"There's opportunities because it's a wonderful public space. There's people gathering. But, I appreciate that there is also financial challenges that are also associated, and it's not fulfilling the vision that it was meant to achieve when it was first built 40 years ago."
Palmer said any changes to the neighbourhood will take time, noting to revitalize the area will take decades. He said the community, business leaders as well as politicians will need to reflect on what they want to see the area become.
"So it does need to be re-thought, and because the facility is 40 years old now, so we need to make a decision, talk about it. We need to spend some money, what's the best way to spend some money on this facility."
"Planning is never black or white. Planning is about finding the right solution for the right community for the right people. So, there's lots of visions for it."
As for the future of Victoriaville, Palmer said there are other downtown mall examples he can point to, including Quebec City, which Victoriaville was modelled after.
The mall in Quebec was demolished over a decade ago.
"The future of downtowns in my opinion is making it distinct and differentiating it from suburban malls. For a number of reasons, downtown malls are not economically viable across North America," he said.
"Most small communities and downtown neighbourhoods that built malls are facing the same challenge, so there's lots of good precedence to look at. We can learn from the successes and failures of other communities as well when we're trying to find ideas for what will work in Thunder Bay."
Palmer said downtowns will survive by attracting niche stores, and ensuring the areas are walkable. He said any urban core needs to offer a specific reason to come to the area.
"There's always an economically viable solution. The challenge is making the economically viable solution compatible with community goals and desires, and the retail reality. This is probably one of the last downtown malls built in North America.
Public feedback
Tenants in Victoriaville have been vocal about the uncertainty in the mall's future.
Kathy Scerba, who has owned Crock N' Dial Sandwiches in the mall for 23 years, said she just wants a decision to be made.
But, she's hopeful the city will keep the mall open.
"Let's make it work. For the downtown area, the senior citizens, the low income families in the area, it's a safe place to come to. We don't have a lot of retail, but it still has other things to offer."
Scerba said the mall is a community gathering place for those who may have nowhere else to go, pointing out some who come to have a coffee, and sit and play cards for hours on end.
Feedback on the future of Victoriaville can be made online at thunderbay.ca/getinvolved
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