Tsawwassen Mills Opens to Massive Crowds [Photos/Floor Plan]

After much anticipation, Ivanhoé Cambridge’s 1.2 million square foot hybrid outlet centre, Tsawwassen Mills, has officially opened to the public. The LEED® certified enclosed mall, located south of Vancouver, features 16 anchors and 180 retailers, 50% of which are ‘pure outlet’ stores.  

The centre opened to crowds of shoppers at 10:00 am on Wednesday, October 5. The parking lot was full before the official opening time, with traffic being directed as shoppers continued to seek out parking spaces. Richard Hui attended the opening and said that there were “long lines of eager shoppers waiting for the doors to open”, going on to say “the centre is a pleasant surprise, bringing stiff competition to the McArthurGlen Outlets at YVR Airport”. 

Grand opening attendees included Ivanhoé Cambridge executives, Tsawwassen First Nation Chief Bryce Williams and the Honourable John Rustad, British Columbia Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation. 

Tsawwassen marks the third ‘Mills’ centre for Ivanhoé Cambridge, following the opening of Vaughan Mills north of Toronto in 2004 and CrossIron Mills in Calgary in 2009. Tsawwassen Mills is the largest shopping centre to be built in Canada since 2009.

The unique enclosed centre features five distinct shopping neighbourhoods – Fashion, Outdoor Life, Coast Salish, City, and Nature – each featuring its own custom artwork and design elements. Construction began on the massive Tsawwassen Mills in January of 2014, which is located at Highway 17 and 52nd Street in South Delta — about 30 minutes north of the Washington State border and less than 5 km from the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal. 

Ivahnoé Cambridge says that 180 brands are confirmed for the centre, including 18 that are first-to-market such as: Bass Pro Shops, DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse, Pro Hockey Life, Saks OFF 5TH, The Outlet by Harry Rosen, Michael Kors Outlet, lululemon athletica outlet, and Browns Outlet (shoes), as well as several others. Thirteen of the mall’s 16 anchors are now open. 

Tsawwassen Mills features a 1,100-seat food hall, four full-service restaurants, a children’s play area, a sports dome and six public entrances each featuring its own special design features. Several stores offer unique entertainment options, including a skate park in the West 49 retail space, and a themed bowling alley inside of Bass Pro Shops. 

According to Ivanhoé Cambridge, more than $600 million went into building Tsawwassen Mills, which now employs about 3,500 full-time and part-time staff. The centre features a 6,000 stall parking lot with 14 electric vehicle charging stations. Other sustainable features include a LEED® certification as mentioned above, based partly on 20% of construction materials being recycled, as well as the planting of 2,000 trees on the property. 

Ivahnoé Cambridge says that the mall will draw shoppers from the BC Lower Mainland as well as Vancouver Island, and even from the United States. Americans are increasingly shopping in Canada as the Canadian dollar remains low compared to US currency.