| |
|
|
From the Sept 01/02 Vancouver Courier.
Wal-Mart offered downtown location
By Mike Howell-Staff writer
Wal-Mart may study the feasibility of locating one of its big-box stores in the struggling International Village mall after receiving an invitation to move in from the landlords.
International Village's owners, Henderson Development (Canada) Ltd., approached the retailing giant earlier this year about a possible partnership, but Wal-Mart spokesman Andrew Pelletier said the company is currently focused on getting its first Vancouver store built on Southeast Marine Drive.
Pelletier said the company hasn't set a timeline to consider the invitation-possibly before the end of the year-but added it would have to look at the configuration of the site, how Wal-Mart would fit into the area and the impact on traffic, as well as gauging support from residents.
"We haven't completely ruled it out," said Pelletier. Although it's common for landlords and developers to approach Wal-Mart about getting a store built as part of a larger development, he said no other local landlords or developers have approached the chain, now working on traffic and design studies for the former Dueck car dealership site on Southeast Marine Drive.
Pelletier said Wal-Mart studies show its stores are "economic magnets" that can boost an area suffering from a downturn in business. The three-level International Village mall could use such a boost-since it opened in late 1999, many of its spaces have remained empty. The Pender Street mall, which includes the Tinseltown movie theatre complex, was supposed to attract upscale boutiques, but failed to live up to its promise. A planned microbrewery never materialized, nor did the rumoured arrival of Christian Dior, Versace, Chloe Paris and Benetton. The Starbucks, 7-Eleven, McDonald's and movie theatres seem to be the only businesses thriving. A group of tenants who saw their businesses plummet and were forced to close up shop have launched a lawsuit against the mall.
Messages left for Henderson Development president Alan Lai to discuss the mall's interest were not returned before the Courier's Friday deadline. The company is part of a Hong Kong-based real estate firm owned by billionaire Lee Shau Kee.
Pelletier said it wouldn't be out of the question to have two Wal-Mart stores in Vancouver.
Wal-Mart's Southeast Marine Drive application is expected to go to city council after the Nov. 16 civic election, and then to a public hearing. Opinion about the prospect of the city's first Wal-Mart is fiercely divided. Anti-Wal-Mart forces have collected more than 9,000 names on a petition opposing a rezoning to permit the retailer. Wal-Mart, in turn, has collected 10,520 signatures supporting the store, mostly from customers in its four Lower Mainland stores.
|
|
