The thought of two major malls setting up shop at the Tsawwassen First Nation has sent shockwaves through this community. Beyond concerns over paving farmland and traffic congestion, there have been worries about how this retail behemoth will impact the commercial cores in both Tsawwassen and Ladner.
I'm not so sure it will help, a contention made by the TFN because the malls will bring many more shoppers to the area, but at the same time, I don't think it will be the death knell either.
That's because what's here now and what's coming are, for the most part, two different animals.
South Delta's commercial sectors have evolved over time to the point where they've carved out a nice little niche in the marketplace. Look at any stretch of commercial real estate in these parts and you'll likely find insurance agencies, hair salons, dry cleaners, bakeries, produce markets, fitness studios and sushi shops.
These are primarily service-oriented operations or places that sell life's daytoday necessities.
Now take a look at the store directory for CrossIron Mills, the Calgary shopping centre after which Tsawwassen Mills, the bigger of the two TFN malls at 1.2 million square feet, is being modeled.
It includes 42 stores that stock unisex apparel and 34 that sell women's clothing. There's some overlap between the two categories, so it's not necessarily 76 different stores, but you see where this train is headed. Throw in 26 shops that sell footwear and 13 that offer handbags, not to mention men's and children's clothing, sportswear, accessories and jewelry, and you can see how CrossIron Mills caters to the fashionistas among us.
These are two significantly different commercial environments, although it should be noted there is some amount of overlap that could impact a selection of existing merchants. I think Ana Arciniega, executive director of the Business Improvement Association of Tsawwassen, is bang on when she says about 20 per cent of her group's members could be negatively impacted by the proposed malls.
Even those in the crosshairs have survived in the face of extensive competition from neighbouring areas, so it's not a given they'll close up shop just because a new mall opens nearby. Is Kingsway deserted because of Metrotown or No.
3 Road a ghost town due to Richmond Centre?
I'm not suggesting there won't be any casualties, but the impending death of South Delta's commercial sector just isn't in the cards.
