‘The urinal will be no more’
Downtown shoppers excited for future as former Sears building loses toilet-like facade
As the last of the ugly urinal-like tiles are peeled from the old Sears store on Granville and Robson, experts say the building that has long been the butt of bathroom jokes is now a symbol of downtown Vancouver’s rapidly rising luxury retail culture.
“The urinal will be no more,” said retail strategist David Ian Gray of DIG360.
Construction has been under way for almost a year on the 1973-built department store at 725 Granville St., as American retailer Nordstrom prepares to take over the first three floors for its Vancouver flagship store, slated to open in late 2015.
But it wasn’t until recent weeks when the building shed its unsightly white stone panelling, often ridiculed for resembling a giant urinal, that shoppers got a glossy glimpse of the city’s luxury retail future in the downtown shopping district.
While the tile’s replacement has not yet been installed, Gray said many shoppers found the previous exterior to be so dated and unappealing that they are excited to see the new development taking place.
“I think we all thought it was so godawful,” he said, “that I think everyone is fairly excited not only about Nordstrom coming in but how the feel of that part of the city might change with a more welcoming, attractive and modern retail space.”
The previous windowless building, originally the Eaton’s department store, was designed by American architect Cesar Pelli, part of a “superblock” that city planners hoped would rejuvenate the stagnant downtown.
But over time, the building that was once considered modern and progressive began to feel institutional.
“It was a bunker,” retail analyst Peter Hume said with a laugh.
Well overdue for a renovation, the building’s much-needed makeover is just the tip of the transformation currently taking over the city’s downtown shopping district, said Hume.
Victoria’s Secret is finally slated to officially open Aug. 27 on the corner of Robson and Burrard, ending a summer of speculation over when the American lingerie retailer would finally open its doors.
Hudson’s Bay also plans to open a downtown Saks location after buying the New York-based chain in April.
Alberni Street, already home to boutiques such as Burberry and Betsey Johnson, is also undergoing a ritzy refit, and more high-end stores such as Christian Dior are rumoured to be setting up on the street often called Vancouver’s mini Rodeo Drive.
Although Vancouver has more options than ever before for prime retail locations beyond Robson Street — from Gastown to South Granville and West 4th Avenue — many international retailers still think Robson is “the place to be,” Gray said.
“It’s part of a bigger trend that’s happening in many cities where there’s a resurgence of dining and shopping in the downtown,” he said.
But with many other shopping malls, such as Oakridge Centre, undergoing expansions and U.S. retail giants like Target opening in the suburbs, Hume said it’s more important than ever for retailers in the city core to set themselves apart. Combined with concerns over parking availability and costs downtown, Hume said the new retailers need to have a unique draw, like a flagship store, to convince shoppers who live in the suburbs that it’s worth it to make the trip.
“There’s a lot of strong retailing going on in the suburbs,” said Hume. “For a lot of people, there just isn’t a lot of reason to go downtown and shop.”
But with the store not expected to open for at least two years, Nordstrom’s execs still have time to consider those concerns.
A spokeswoman for Cadillac Fairview, the company redeveloping the building, said Friday that the site’s developer, Ledcor, is expected to complete the demolition phase of the project in early September.
Rebuilding and refitting the structure will follow, she said, with the store expected to open in late 2015.
“I think everyone is fairly excited not only about Nordstrom coming in but how the feel of that part of the city might change.”
— DAVID IAN GRAY RETAIL STRATEGIST