MEDICINE HAT MALL – New look ready for public
Mountain Warehouse to be part of the new look
Portions of a major renovation at the Medicine Hat Mall are set to open on Monday with some new retailers ready to conduct business, including a newly announced outdoor equipment retailer.
Mountain Warehouse, a British company, announced Friday that Medicine Hat will be the site of its 37th North American location.
That will occupy a new bay in nearly 100,000 square feet of renovated space formerly occupied by Target. That wing will be opened to the public on Monday, but some stores are still setting up and food kiosks will be moving over to the new food court throughout the month.
That means a major grand opening will take place later, said mall general manager Richard Okrainec.
“It looks great,” said Okrainec. “There are a few tweaks still, it’s new and bright. People are really going to like it. But construction always has its challenges.”
While generally on the original schedule, it’s been difficult to align the building with schedules of individual retailers, he added.
“We’re having a soft opening on Aug. 1 but not everyone is open yet,” said Okrainec. “We’ll be doing that grand opening with all the (tenants) open on Sept. 1.”
With the new space open, construction will move over soon to the old food court. That will be cordoned off to remodel it into a new retail avenue. When that happens, the main entrance will be the moved to the recently constructed southside vestibule.
Over the past year, crews have been working to transform the former Target space into the facility’s new food court and several mid-sized bays.
After that 100,000 sq.-ft. area opens, a second phase to redo the current food court would begin. Parking lot work and other renovations are planned over the next several years. In all, the renovations are budgeted to cost about $20 million.
Mountain Warehouse retails camping and athletic apparel and equipment at 260 outlets worldwide.
Company officials said in a statement that they were “delighted” to add a local store to their portfolio.
“Medicine Hat is a warm, vibrant city with a feel-good atmosphere, bursting with adventure,” said Carl Deering, the company’s vice-president of North American operations.
Marshall’s and Home Sense, which are owned by the same company, are set to begin operations mid-month in two sizable bays. Osh Kosh children’s retailer is scheduled to open very early in August, if not next week, said Okrainec.
Another new tenant, lingerie seller La vie en Rose, has also booked space in the remade wing, he added.