A butcher, baker and candlestick retailer – Lynn Valley Centre will retain its familiar charms but wants to add a "desperately" needed higher-end restaurant to the mix for its revamp.
Looking at the designs for the new centre, there will be 23,000 square feet of freed-up retail space to play with – 7,000 in the existing mall and 16,000 in the adjacent new commercial podium to be anchored by a 44,000 square foot Save-On-Foods.
But Bosa Development doesn’t appear to be breaking the mold too much.
“The main focus is many of the longstanding tenancies, they each bring a unique service offering to the community,” said Bosa Development sales and marketing manager Lisa Murrell.
It’s safe to say we’re not going to see a Sephora in Lynn Valley.
“They can stay in the Park Royals and the Pacific Centres, (places) like that,” said Murrell, adding Shoppers Drug Mart at Lynn Valley Centre is expanding and will have an extensive makeup section.
“This is more of a service-related mall, this isn’t a destination mall for fashion shopping. You’ve got everything you need. You’ve got your dentists, you’ve got your doctors, you have the butcher, the baker, the gift store, which has candles I’m sure.”
When Save-On-Foods moves to its new home at the end of 2018, Shoppers Drug Mart will take over that space and the B.C. Liquor Store will expand, leaving 16,000 square feet of renovated retail space available at that end of the mall.
As for what Bosa is eying for that area, Murrell said more dining options is what Lynn Valley so desperately needs.
“So what we are looking for as far as new tenants are concerned, we are actually looking for a higher-end restaurant or some gourmet coffee shops, things like that, and something that will bring a unique offering to the mall,” said Murrell.
Another missing retail link in Lynn Valley Centre, adds Murrell, is an outdoor recreation shop for the active community on the edge of the forest. You might even see some pop-up shops in the made-over mall.
The first phase of the Lynn Valley Centre renovations, which will start and finish this year, will see interior improvements to the mall.
New washrooms, flooring, ceilings and custom fixtures and art – including hand-crafted benches made from reclaimed wood from the old Lynn Valley library – will be among the enhancements.
“It’s the ultimate recycling. Why go and buy something new when you can use the wood – there’s nothing wrong with it,” said Murrell of Bosa paying homage to Lynn Valley’s yesteryear.
“It was hand-refinished on site. We just thought it was a great way to tie the old and the new. The wood find was a really great one for us.”
As for the overall design concept, Murrell said they are going for a mountain village, Whistler-inspired esthetic, using natural wood and stone materials. Wolf paw prints are already embedded in the concrete outside the mall.
Locally sourced art will adorn the interior of Lynn Valley Centre and a 20-foot waterfall-inspired public art piece will stand in the main courtyard. Bosa also plans to pay homage, through art, to the former wood mill industry in the area, as well as mountain biking.
Other amenities attached to the project include trail and transportation improvements. Bosa’s vision is to create a walkable, transit-friendly community for families to do their errands.
The site south of the existing mall is currently under construction to make way for 360 residential units in six towers between four and 12 storeys in height. An additional 240 underground parking stalls will be created once the new Save-On-Foods opens.
The release of the final phase of Residences at Lynn Valley happened on the weekend with more than 300 people turning up, said Murrell.
Lynn Valley's demographics are changing steadily, she adds, with the recent densification and young families looking to establish routine shopping patterns.
“This has been a long time coming,” said Murrell.
“So we are really looking forward to being able to bring some of these new retailers once we have them in place and a mall that Lynn Valley can be proud of.”
