One of the largest vacant retail spaces at CF Sherway Gardens has found a major new tenant, with Splitsville Bowl planning a 34,000-square-foot flagship entertainment venue inside part of the former Nordstrom store.
Scheduled to open in fall 2027, the venue will feature 22 lanes of 10-pin bowling, an interactive arcade, food and beverage offerings, and event spaces for social gatherings, celebrations and corporate functions. Cadillac Fairview announced the project through its social media channels, describing it as a flagship location for the entertainment operator.
The lease represents one of the first major permanent redevelopments announced for the former Nordstrom premises since the department store closed in 2023, beginning a new chapter for one of the shopping centre’s most prominent anchor spaces.
Splitsville to Occupy Part of Former Nordstrom Store
The new venue will occupy approximately 34,000 square feet within the former Nordstrom store, which spanned about 140,000 square feet before the retailer exited Canada.
Nordstrom opened at CF Sherway Gardens in September 2017 as the anchor of Cadillac Fairview’s major south-wing expansion. The store formed part of a significant redevelopment that strengthened the shopping centre’s position within the Greater Toronto Area’s retail market.
That chapter ended in June 2023 when Nordstrom closed all of its Canadian locations.
Cadillac Fairview has not publicly outlined plans for the balance of the former Nordstrom premises, leaving a substantial amount of space available for future redevelopment.
The property did not sit entirely dormant following Nordstrom’s departure. Portions of the former store later housed temporary Ontario Science Centre exhibitions after the closure of the institution’s Don Mills facility. Interactive experiences, including Towers of Tomorrow with LEGO Bricks, brought families into the space before the temporary attraction concluded earlier this year.
CF Sherway Gardens Continues to Reshape Its Anchor Lineup
Nordstrom’s departure was followed by the loss of two more department store anchors.
Hudson’s Bay and Saks Fifth Avenue both closed at CF Sherway Gardens on June 1, 2025, as Hudson’s Bay Company completed the liquidation of its remaining Canadian stores. Within roughly two years, the shopping centre lost three department store anchors that had helped define the property for much of the past decade.
Those departures created an unusually large redevelopment opportunity at one of Canada’s leading regional shopping centres.
CF Sherway Gardens has continued to maintain a strong mix of fashion retailers, restaurants, luxury brands and services while Cadillac Fairview works to reposition the former anchor spaces.
Another significant redevelopment is already underway. T&T Supermarket is scheduled to open a roughly 40,000-square-foot store in 2027, occupying former Saks-related space on the lower level, including the area previously home to the Saks Food Hall by Pusateri’s.
Together, the T&T and Splitsville announcements begin to show how portions of the former department store footprint are being re-leased for new uses.
Large Retail Spaces Find New Uses
The arrival of Splitsville reflects a broader trend in Canadian shopping centres, where former department store premises are increasingly being adapted for multiple tenants.
Entertainment venues, grocery stores, restaurants, fitness operators and other large-format businesses have become practical successors to traditional department stores, particularly in prominent regional malls where expansive floorplates can accommodate a variety of concepts.
Splitsville’s flagship will introduce a new entertainment destination to CF Sherway Gardens while occupying only about one-quarter of the former Nordstrom store. T&T Supermarket will bring a grocery anchor to part of the former Saks premises.
Additional redevelopment plans for the remaining former department store space have yet to be announced.
Splitsville is also continuing to expand elsewhere in Canada. The company recently announced plans for a third Edmonton location at Manning Town Centre, adding to its growing network of entertainment venues.
Looking Ahead
The arrival of Splitsville and T&T will make 2027 an important year for CF Sherway Gardens as new tenants begin opening in spaces once occupied by some of Canada’s best-known department stores.
For Splitsville, the project establishes a flagship location within one of the country’s leading shopping centres. For Cadillac Fairview, it represents another step in the long-term repositioning of a property whose anchor lineup has changed dramatically over the past two years.
As additional redevelopment plans emerge, the transformation of the former department store spaces at CF Sherway Gardens is likely to remain closely watched across Canada’s retail real estate industry.
