Bay Centre facts for kids
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| Address | 1150 Douglas Street Victoria, British Columbia V8W 3M9 |
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| Opening date | 1989 |
| Developer | Cadillac Fairview and Eaton's |
| Management | Westcliff |
| Owner | LaSalle Investment Management |
| No. of stores and services | 93 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 1 |
| Total retail floor area | 39,115 m2 (421,030 sq ft) |
| No. of floors | 4 (5 in Hudson's Bay department store) |
| Website | Bay Centre |
The Bay Centre, once known as the Victoria Eaton Centre, is a big shopping mall in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It's located right in the city's historic downtown area. The mall covers a large space, with about 39,115 square metres (421,030 sq ft) of shops and stores.
Contents
The Bay Centre: A Cool Shopping Spot
What is The Bay Centre?
The Bay Centre is a popular place for shopping and hanging out. It first opened its doors in 1989. This made it the very first large shopping mall in Downtown Victoria. You can find it between Douglas, Government, Fort, and View streets. It's a central spot for many people in Victoria.
A Look Back: How it Started
The mall was built on two city blocks in an old part of town. One of these blocks used to be home to the original downtown Eaton's store. This store was very old, having been a Spencer's department store before it became Eaton's. To make way for the new mall, the old Eaton's building was taken down in 1987 and 1988.
Building Challenges and Changes
Building the shopping centre wasn't easy. There were some discussions and challenges at the start. This was because several old, historic buildings had to be changed or removed. Some of these buildings had their fronts kept, but new structures were built behind them. Also, one block of Broad Street had to be closed off.
The mall was first a team effort between Eaton's and another company called Cadillac Fairview. When Eaton's company had problems in 1999, their store in the mall closed. Another store, Sears Canada, took its place for a while. Later, The Bay (now called Hudson's Bay) moved in. Because of this, the mall was renamed The Bay Centre.
In 2010, Cadillac Fairview sold the mall to LaSalle Investment Management. This sale was one of the biggest property deals in Victoria's history at the time.
Big Stores Inside
The Bay Centre has many different stores. Some of the biggest ones, often called "anchor" stores, include:
- Hudson's Bay: This is a very large department store. It covers about 19,301 square metres (207,750 sq ft) of space.
- Passport Canada: This office helps people get their passports. It's about 995 square metres (10,710 sq ft) in size.
- Sport Chek: A popular store for sports gear and clothing. It's around 1,800 square metres (19,000 sq ft) big.
- Winners: A store known for offering brand-name clothing and home goods at lower prices.
