Niagara Square redevelopment, which will include Costco and big box centre, taking shape
The redevelopment of Niagara Square has shifted into high gear and crews are busy working on both the shopping centre and a new Costco store.
We are well on our way to completing the new store facades for the new big box centre," said Steven Campbell, senior vice-president of asset management for Bayfield Realty Advisors, which owns the Niagara Falls property.
Storefronts, parking lots, and landscaping will begin to be completed in the next few months, so it will seem more like a retail plaza and less like a construction site."
Construction of the Costco store, which is separate from the big box centre project at the Montrose Road mall, is also progressing, with the building structure expected to go up this week.
It is all coming together as planned, and we hope to be ready to go by Christmas," Campbell said.
He noted the completion date is subject to change due to uncertainty surrounding COVID-19.
We are making progress on our leasing, but the challenges the pandemic has put on retail stores and retail shopping centre owners has weighed heavily on all market participants."
He said some tenants have put their new store programs on hold" as they wait and see what will happen with the reopening of stores, and the impacts of a potential second wave of coronavirus infections.
It has made our job more challenging, but we continue to have discussions which we feel is positive," Campbell said.
Bayfield Realty expects store openings will begin in the first quarter of 2021.
A Costco representative said Wednesday the company would not be making any comments on the project at this time.
The 13,500-square-metre store will be at the rear of the property.
While the interior portion of Niagara Square has been vacant since 2017, standalone businesses on the property, including Michaels and JYSK, have remained open.
The property is also home to Choom Cannabis Co. and a medical clinic.
Alison Langley is a St. Catharines-based reporter for the Niagara Falls Review. Reach her via email: alison.langley@niagaradailies.com