Central Walk is advancing plans to redevelop approximately 310,000 square feet of former Hudson’s Bay space at Woodgrove Centre in Nanaimo and Mayfair Shopping Centre in Victoria, bringing H Mart, TM Wander, family entertainment and international hot pot chain Haidilao into the two Vancouver Island projects.
At Woodgrove, Central Walk expects the redevelopment to represent approximately $30 million to $40 million in combined landlord and tenant investment. H Mart will anchor part of the former Bay space, while TM Wander and a new Family Entertainment Centre will form major components of the first level. Central Walk is targeting completion of the major new uses in spring or summer 2028.
Mayfair, where demolition is already underway, is approximately six months ahead of Woodgrove. Central Walk owner Ruby Liu told Retail Insider that Haidilao is planned for the first level of the former Bay space alongside TM Wander, which she said would give the international restaurant chain its first Vancouver Island location.
The two projects reflect Liu’s strategy for replacing the role once played by a large department store. Instead of seeking another single retailer to occupy the space, Central Walk is dividing the former Bay stores among grocery, restaurants, entertainment and other uses intended to bring customers to the properties for different reasons and at different times.
Liu said e-commerce and changing consumer behaviour have altered the role of the traditional department store anchor. Shopping centres increasingly need to consider why consumers will make a trip to a property and what will encourage them to stay, she said in written responses translated from Mandarin.
“Rather than relying on one traditional anchor, we are creating multiple anchors and experiences within the same destination,” Liu said.
H Mart to Anchor Woodgrove Redevelopment
The former Hudson’s Bay space at Woodgrove spans approximately 144,000 square feet over two levels, according to Central Walk. H Mart has been confirmed as a major anchor on the second level, with the Korean supermarket expected to occupy approximately 30,000 square feet.
Liu said H Mart also plans to introduce some related food, beauty and lifestyle concepts at the property. The grocery component is intended to provide frequent repeat visits while supporting the surrounding food and entertainment businesses.
Central Walk’s redevelopment materials say H Mart is expected to serve demand for Asian grocery products in Nanaimo while helping draw customers from elsewhere on Vancouver Island.
The first level will include TM Wander and an all-ages Family Entertainment Centre. Plans include children’s activities, party rooms, event spaces and sports facilities, while other parts of the redevelopment will incorporate dining, social, wellness and community uses.
Central Walk also plans to activate part of Woodgrove’s existing second-level parking area. Liu said the space could accommodate outdoor dining, performances and festivals during warmer months, with patios, heaters and food and beverage service extending its use during colder periods.
Renderings show illuminated art and interactive lighting installations along with a large LED performance area. A retractable projection screen is also planned for the central atrium, allowing it to accommodate events, brand launches and live performances.
Central Walk anticipates approximately $10 million in landlord investment at Woodgrove. Liu estimates tenants and operators will invest another $20 million to $30 million, bringing total expected investment associated with the project to approximately $30 million to $40 million.
The company expects to complete its building permit application before the end of 2026, with demolition also beginning during the period. Construction and tenant fit-outs are expected to take place primarily in 2027, followed by completion of the major components in spring or summer 2028. The project remains subject to applicable permitting and approvals.
TM Wander Expands Following Tsawwassen Launch
TM Wander will occupy part of the first level at Woodgrove, where Central Walk expects approximately 30 individual vendors.
The company is expanding TM Wander after opening the first location at Tsawwassen Mills earlier this year. According to Liu, weekend traffic at Tsawwassen Mills has been approximately 10 per cent higher than comparable year-earlier periods since TM Wander opened, with customers also travelling from outside the centre’s traditional trade area. The traffic figure was provided by Central Walk.
Liu said some existing food court tenants initially worried TM Wander would shift spending from one part of the mall to another. She said the existing food court instead benefited as overall traffic increased. Central Walk has also used the first location to identify operational issues involving hours, programming and design that it plans to address at subsequent locations.
Woodgrove will therefore not replicate the Tsawwassen concept. Liu said the Nanaimo location will place greater emphasis on evening dining, beverage service, live performances and entertainment-oriented restaurants, potentially extending activity beyond conventional shopping centre hours.
International Brand in Talks for Woodgrove and Mayfair
Central Walk is also negotiating with an unnamed international brand that could become another major anchor at Woodgrove.
Liu said the company cannot disclose the retailer while negotiations remain commercially sensitive. If an agreement is completed, Woodgrove would represent the brand’s first Vancouver Island location. The discussions also involve Mayfair, with the brand considering a package involving locations at both properties.
The negotiations highlight a leasing advantage created by Central Walk’s control of large former Bay spaces at both centres. A retailer looking to establish a larger Vancouver Island presence can potentially negotiate across two established shopping centres rather than approaching each property separately.
Haidilao Planned for Mayfair
The former Hudson’s Bay space at Mayfair comprises approximately 166,000 square feet over two levels, according to Central Walk. Together with Woodgrove, the two projects account for approximately 310,000 square feet of former department store space.
Demolition is already underway and exterior hoarding for TM Wander has been installed. Central Walk is targeting spring 2028 for the project’s opening.
Liu told Retail Insider that Haidilao is planned for the first level alongside TM Wander. She said the location would be the international hot pot chain’s first on Vancouver Island. Central Walk is also in advanced discussions with the undisclosed brand considering space at both Mayfair and Woodgrove.
Central Walk plans to adapt TM Wander to the Victoria market rather than duplicate the Tsawwassen Mills concept. Liu pointed to Victoria’s younger consumers and university population as reasons for emphasizing restaurants and social environments geared toward gatherings and other social occasions.
Woodgrove, by comparison, is being planned with a stronger evening entertainment component. Liu said the core TM Wander identity will remain consistent while individual locations are adapted to their respective markets.
Renderings for Mayfair show a substantial transformation of the former department store, including a two-level atrium, event areas, greenery, new retail spaces and a redesigned food court.
Liu described Mayfair as one of Central Walk’s more mature Canadian shopping centres, with strong occupancy and existing retailer demand. She said the former Bay space provides an opportunity to introduce new dining, retail and social uses without fundamentally repositioning the rest of the property.
Former Bay Spaces Open Door to New Uses
Central Walk gained control of the former Hudson’s Bay premises at Woodgrove and Mayfair through the retailer’s insolvency process, along with the former Saks Off 5th premises at Tsawwassen Mills.
The transaction gave Liu control of large blocks of space within shopping centres already associated with Central Walk. It also accelerated a direction the company had been pursuing before Hudson’s Bay entered creditor protection, particularly at Woodgrove, where Central Walk had previously discussed adding entertainment, gathering and community uses.
The redevelopment comes as owners of former Hudson’s Bay locations across Canada assess how large department store boxes can be reconfigured following the retailer’s collapse. Central Walk’s approach at Woodgrove and Mayfair distributes the former anchor function among uses with different visit patterns, including grocery, restaurants, entertainment and events.
The two Vancouver Island projects will provide an early test of how effectively that combination can replace some of the traffic and destination function historically associated with a major department store.
Central Walk Takes Leasing Opportunities to ICSC Toronto
Central Walk continues to seek retailers and operators for both projects as planning and leasing move forward.
Liu said the company is particularly interested in food, beverage and entertainment operators that can generate evening activity, as well as regional, national and international retailers capable of drawing customers from a wider trade area. Brands considering their first Vancouver Island locations are also a priority.
Central Walk has been meeting with local government representatives as the projects move through planning and approvals. Liu said discussions in Nanaimo and Victoria have included permitting, development priorities and community needs.
The company plans to present the Woodgrove and Mayfair opportunities at ICSC Toronto as it searches for additional tenants and operating partners. With H Mart confirmed for Woodgrove, Haidilao planned for Mayfair and another international brand considering both properties, Central Walk will arrive at the industry gathering with much of its redevelopment strategy established and significant leasing still in play.
