Tsawwassen Mills is marking 10 years as owner Central Walk continues to broaden the 1.2-million-square-foot shopping centre beyond its outlet retail base, adding food, entertainment and recreation while preparing for the arrival of a new H Mart anchor. The anniversary comes as Central Walk reports an increase in weekend traffic following the opening of TM Wander, its nearly 25,000-square-foot food and cultural concept, in May of this year.
According to Ruby Liu of Central Walk, weekend traffic at Tsawwassen Mills has consistently been approximately 10 per cent higher than during comparable periods a year earlier since TM Wander opened in May. Another major addition is now in the pipeline, with Liu telling Retail Insider that H Mart is expected to occupy an approximately 30,000-square-foot anchor space at Tsawwassen Mills, with an opening targeted for around December 2027.
The Asian supermarket is also expected to introduce related concepts including bakery and beauty offerings. Together with recent additions including The Nest indoor sports facility and a growing collection of entertainment uses, the changes illustrate how Central Walk is adding new reasons for consumers to visit a property originally built around a large outlet and value-oriented retail offering.
Tsawwassen Mills Marks 10 Years
Tsawwassen Mills opened on October 5, 2016, following an investment of more than $600 million by developer Ivanhoé Cambridge. The centre debuted with approximately 1.2 million square feet of gross leasable area, 180 brands and 13 anchors, with more than half of its stores operating as pure outlet concepts.
From the beginning, the property incorporated more than outlet retail, with restaurants, a large food hall, children’s amenities and entertainment included in its original mix. Tsawwassen Mills was developed on Tsawwassen First Nation land, with Coast Salish art and cultural references incorporated into its architecture and interior design.
The property later received a Special Distinction from ICSC recognizing, among other elements, its relationship with Tsawwassen First Nation and the integration of Coast Salish art and architecture. That relationship with Tsawwassen First Nation continues to deepen, with Central Walk recently completing the Cedar and Sea project in collaboration with a First Nations artist, installing four additional house posts and other Indigenous art pieces at Entry 3 of the shopping centre.
The centre’s scale and location meant attracting customers from beyond its immediate surroundings was important from the outset. Ten years later, that remains central to the property, although the mix of uses intended to draw those customers is changing.
Central Walk Expands the Mix
Central Walk acquired Tsawwassen Mills from Ivanhoé Cambridge in 2022 and soon identified food, entertainment and services as areas where it saw further potential. Liu said one of the most significant changes since the acquisition has been a reassessment of the tenant mix and how different areas of the property can be used. Her written responses to Retail Insider were translated from Mandarin.
“We wanted to move beyond the traditional outlet mall model, which is primarily focused on retail, and introduce more experiential concepts that customers may not normally expect to find in a shopping centre,” Liu said.
That strategy has resulted in additions including FlyO Land, Dreambox 5D and children’s entertainment. More recently, recreation has become a larger part of the mix through The Nest, a roughly 98,000-square-foot indoor sports facility developed adjacent to the shopping centre on former parking area.
The facility includes a significant pickleball component and has hosted competitive play, including the 2026 Pickleball BC Provincial Championships. Its scale demonstrates how non-retail uses can occupy meaningful real estate around a major shopping centre rather than functioning simply as supplementary amenities.
Central Walk has also increased its emphasis on events and relationships with local organizations as it works to strengthen the property’s role within surrounding communities. The strategy is an evolution rather than a wholesale repositioning. Food, entertainment and family amenities were already part of Tsawwassen Mills when it opened, and under Central Walk, those uses have taken on greater prominence alongside the centre’s established outlet and value retail offering.
TM Wander Adds New Traffic
TM Wander has become one of Central Walk’s most significant additions to Tsawwassen Mills. The nearly 25,000-square-foot concept opened May 30, combining food and beverage vendors with retail, events, art and cultural elements. At its opening, crowds gathered throughout the space, with customers lining up at food vendors and taking photos of its interior installations.
Central Walk says the concept is now having a measurable impact on mall traffic. According to Liu, weekend traffic at Tsawwassen Mills has consistently been approximately 10 per cent higher than during comparable periods a year earlier since TM Wander opened. The figure was provided by Central Walk and refers specifically to weekend traffic.
Liu said another notable result has been the breadth of TM Wander’s customer base, with visitors coming from different cities, age groups and cultural backgrounds. Central Walk has also received visits from commercial real estate, retail and design professionals interested in the concept and its operating model.
The performance has implications for other food operators at the centre. Liu previously told Retail Insider that some existing food court tenants had been concerned TM Wander could redistribute spending already occurring within the property. Central Walk says the existing food court instead benefited as overall traffic increased.
H Mart Targets Christmas 2027 Opening
H Mart is expected to become the next significant anchor addition at Tsawwassen Mills, with the supermarket set to occupy an approximately 30,000-square-foot anchor space at the shopping centre. Liu told Retail Insider that the opening is currently targeted for around Christmas 2027. Central Walk has already begun preparing the space and coordinating its turnover to allow time for design, approvals and construction.
The planned operation is also expected to extend beyond a conventional supermarket. Liu said H Mart intends to introduce some of its own or affiliated concepts, including bakery, beauty and other related offerings.
Grocery introduces a different shopping frequency from much of Tsawwassen Mills’ outlet merchandise. Consumers may make discretionary trips for apparel, footwear or other outlet purchases less frequently than grocery visits, giving H Mart the potential to generate more regular trips to the property.
The supermarket also fits with Central Walk’s increasing emphasis on Asian food and retail concepts. H Mart is separately confirmed for Woodgrove Centre in Nanaimo, where it will anchor part of Central Walk’s redevelopment of the former Hudson’s Bay space.
From Shopping Trip to Day Out
Liu said Central Walk has seen a change in how some customers use Tsawwassen Mills. When the centre opened, its location and scale made destination traffic fundamental to its business model. Its potential trade area extended well beyond Delta to other parts of Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and consumers travelling through the region.
Central Walk says more families are now making the property itself the reason for a visit, combining shopping with dining, recreation and entertainment. Liu said families are increasingly treating Tsawwassen Mills as a place for weekend outings rather than simply making a shopping trip.
The evolving mix reflects that behaviour. Outlet and value-oriented retailers remain central to the property, while TM Wander adds food and social uses, The Nest introduces large-scale recreation, children’s attractions broaden the family offering and H Mart is expected to bring a higher-frequency grocery component.
Tsawwassen Mills has become a place where Central Walk can test concepts that inform decisions elsewhere in its Canadian portfolio. TM Wander is now planned for Woodgrove Centre in Nanaimo and Mayfair Shopping Centre in Victoria, with Liu saying each version will be adapted to its local market rather than duplicated.
Tsawwassen Mills has also continued to incorporate Indigenous art into the property. Central Walk recently completed Cedar and Sea, a project developed in collaboration with a First Nations artist that added four house posts and other Indigenous artworks at Entry 3. The installation builds on Indigenous art and cultural elements that have been part of the shopping centre since its opening on Tsawwassen First Nation lands.
Tsawwassen Mills Enters Its Second Decade
As Tsawwassen Mills marks 10 years, the outlet and value retail that helped define the property at opening remains an important part of its positioning. What has changed is the amount of space and attention being devoted to uses that can generate additional visits and extend the amount of time customers spend at the property.
TM Wander provides Central Walk with an early measure of that strategy, with the company reporting weekend traffic approximately 10 per cent above comparable year-earlier periods since the concept opened. The Nest has added a substantial recreational component, while the planned H Mart will introduce a new grocery anchor.
Ten years after Tsawwassen Mills opened as one of British Columbia’s largest new retail developments, Central Walk is taking the property into its second decade with a broader mix of uses layered onto its established outlet business. The next test will be whether those additions can generate more frequent visits while strengthening Tsawwassen Mills’ longstanding role as a regional shopping destination.
