MONCTON - Highfield Square is a reflection of the "old era of Moncton," the city's director of community business development says, and there is now an opportunity for another part of the downtown to be revamped and updated.
"(Highfield Square) was a good fit in the '70s and '80s," Ben Champoux said this week, but he added that its layout is dated and didn't appeal in today's retail climate.
The announcement last week that the mall would shut down in the fall may have been sad to many, since a part of Moncton's history is set to close, but few seemed surprised. Highfield Square, which opened in 1969, had lost many tenants in recent years.
The Bay, the anchor tenant in the building, announced last week that its landlord was terminating the store's lease and that it would not be opening another store in the city.
Following that announcement came the news that the mall would close.
ECL Developments Limited, which operates Highfield Square, said last week in a statement that it will "continue to diligently explore redevelopment opportunities for the property."
A representative with ECL Developments Limited could not be reached to discuss why business at Highfield had slowed so much in recent years while other retail centres in Moncton have boomed.
Champlain Place in Dieppe continues to be a shopping destination for not only southeast New Brunswick, but for the Maritimes. Meanwhile, the Trinity Drive area of Moncton continues to draw shoppers and Mountain Road in the north has been booming the last few years.
Stephanie Hansen, marketing director at Champlain Place, would not comment on Highfield Square's closure, but she did discuss a few reasons for Champlain's success.
She noted that the mall was built in 1974 on a parcel of land that provided ample opportunity for expansion. There have been three so far - in 1986, 1994 and 1996.
"In 1990, Crystal Palace Complex was constructed next door, creating a tourist destination and entertainment hub in the city," Hansen said. "Finally, years ago we adopted a strategy of seeking out 'first to market' retailers that are not yet in the province, further solidifying our position as a regional shopping centre and destination for shoppers from not only New Brunswick but Prince Edward Island and northern Nova Scotia."
Jim Cormier, Atlantic Canadian director for the Retail Council of Canada, wouldn't speculate on Highfield Square's demise, but he did speak in general terms about the retail market.
"It all comes down to what the consumer wants," he said. "Retail is an extremely competitive business."
He said the best retailers are always looking ahead to try to stay ahead of their competition.
"There's only so many shopping dollars to go around," Cormier said.
He said malls can be successful, but so can big-box retail areas like Trinity Drive and even downtown centres. While downtown Moncton is still trying to find its footing, other cities have successful clusters of shops in their downtown. Cormier is based in Halifax, and he used the example of Spring Garden Road, a busy street in that city with many shops, restaurants and bars.
Champoux said downtown Moncton has "tremendous potential for long-term growth."
He noted that the Highfield Square site is near a new Sobeys, NB Liquor and Shoppers Drug Mart at the corner of Vaughan Harvey Boulevard and Main Street. Those stores benefit from the updated corridor into Riverview and plenty of traffic in that area.
Up the road is the YMCA and Red Ball Internet Centre, and in recent years modern apartment buildings have been constructed close to Main Street, providing downtown Moncton with more foot traffic and making it more appealing to developers.
Champoux said Highfield's closure presents an opportunity to write a "new chapter of the modern Moncton era."
Many have speculated that the mall's closure clears the way for a sought-after downtown events centre to be built on that site.
Champoux would not speculate on the idea, saying the city hadn't reached an agreement of any sort on a potential site for the events centre.
But there's no doubting the site's attractiveness for development, the business director said.
Highfield Square is expected to close in the fall.
