Construction continues on the new 300,000 square foot, $331 million ‘Nordstrom Wing’ at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre, which opens to the public in October of this year. We toured the construction site and have photos from our visit.

The wing will be occupied by a 196,000 square foot, three level Nordstrom store, which opens on October 21 of this year. About 30 other retailers will occupy the remaining portion of the new 112,000 square foot wing, which will see a number of unique and in some instances, first-to-market retailers. Yorkdale recently announced several of these new retailers.

*Note: some CRU's have changed since this plan was first published.

Popular Japanese retailer Uniqlo will occupy over 24,000 square feet at the north end of the new wing (see lease plan above), with minimalist Japanese retailer Muji occupying space next door. Yorkdale’s Uniqlo will be the second in Canada, following the September opening of a unit at CF Toronto Eaton Centre, and Muji’s store will be a third for the region, as well as for the country.

*Looking north towards Uniqlo and Muji, which will both feature curved facades.*

*Looking inside the new two-level Uniqlo. An escalator is visible.*

Outerwear brand Canada Goose will open its first freestanding store in the world in the new wing, adjacent to the mall entrance to Nordstrom. Canada Goose will occupy about 4,500 square feet and will feature a façade as per the rendering below.

*Looking towards Nordstrom's new mall entrance, with Canada Goose to the right.*

Landlord Oxford Properties is amplifying food and beverage offerings at many of its properties, and Yorkdale’s new Nordstrom wing will feature a seating area that will be anchored by Toronto-based Nadège Patisserie at one end, and a café concept at its southern end. The café concept will be announced to the public shortly.

*Open court will feature seating. Nadege will occupy the retail space at the back of this photo.*

*Sun flooded centre court will provide seating for patrons.*

*Looking north from the centre court towards Uniqlo.*

A number of existing retailers are also expanding as part of the new Nordstrom Wing expansion. Sephora is in the process of adding about 3,500 square feet to its existing 5,700 square foot store, which will result in its gaining a corner presence across the hall from Zara, which is overhauling its premises and is temporarily closed as a result. H&M is also expanding its existing store to create one of the company’s largest Canadian locations, measuring almost 34,000 square feet.

*Sephora will feature a corner entrance.*

Premium features will be added to the new Nordstrom Wing, including a dedicated concierge service area between Uniqlo and the expanded Sport Chek, as well as a personal shopping office near the centre’s newest washrooms which will feature ‘selfie-friendly’ natural lighting via skylights. Yorkdale will soon announce a partnership as part of the new personal shopping area.

*Bridge to Cinneplex theatres. Concierge will be on the right, with Sport Chek's new facade towards the back, behind white tarp.*

Flooring in the new wing will be the same as the rest of the mall, with its beige limestone blending seamlessly with the rest of the centre. The new wing’s design reflects the mall’s existing look which is bright, naturally lit, featuring dramatic high ceilings.

*New flooring will be the same as in the rest of the mall.*

A massive five-level parking structure below Nordstrom is partially open and when it’s finished, Yorkdale will boast about 8,000 parking spaces. Access to the new parking will be via three elevator access points, including from within Nordstrom, which will also feature valet parking.

Yorkdale has partnered with The Brain Project to create a multi-faceted art installation, supporting care and research into aging and brain health at Baycrest Health Sciences. The exhibit "will combine beauty and brains" for the grand opening of Yorkdale’s newest expansion this October. Following a city-wide exhibition this summer, it will mark the first time that all brain sculptures (about 100 of them) will be displayed publicly in one location. The brains will be assembled in the new expansion for an exclusive preview event on Monday, October 17th, and remain on public display from Tuesday, October 18th through to October 31st.

The mall’s Nordstrom Wing isn’t the last expansion for Yorkdale, however. Construction is underway on a westward expansion towards Dufferin Street that will see Restoration Hardware and a number of other retailers open over the next several years.

*All photos are by Craig Patterson for Retail Insider.

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web: June 30, 2016