Rideau Street Hudson's Bay and Freiman Mall

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

An IKEA would be nice.

Ick.

[c_speed3108]

If I could dream, something like Round1 stadium from Japan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1na3cCLRZE

No idea the economic feasibility

[Johnny Kit Kat]

I think a cineplex would be a great success.

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by Johnny Kit Kat

I think a cineplex would be a great success.

Welcome to the forum!

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Johnny Kit Kat

I think a cineplex would be a great success.

The Rideau Centre theatre might still be there in part. There's also the abandoned PdV theatre. If we do get a new downtown theatre at some point, those would be more likely candidates.

[jchamoun79]

Originally Posted by Harley613

I will be so angry at the Ontario government if they don't acquire the Nordstrom space for the Rogers Centre. One time opportunity. Calgary's BMO Centre has 348,163sf of exhibit space, and they also have the Telus Convention Centre with 47,047sf of exhibit space. A total of 395,210sf of major convention space. The Rogers Centre in Ottawa has 57,740sf of exhibit space.

If you're going to mention Calgary's BMO Centre, then we should also mention the EY Centre, which, while not in the best location, has over 200,000sf of exhibit space. It's not like the Rogers Centre is the only convention and exhibition space we have.

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by jchamoun79

If you're going to mention Calgary's BMO Centre, then we should also mention the EY Centre, which, while not in the best location, has over 200,000sf of exhibit space. It's not like the Rogers Centre is the only convention and exhibition space we have.

Fair enough. The EY Centre has 150,489sf of exhibition space in a 220,000sf building. The Palais des Congress has 35638sf of exhibition space.

That gives Ottawa-Gatineau 243,867sf of exhibition space across three facilities compared to to Calgary's 395,210sf across two facilities.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Harley613

Fair enough. The EY Centre has 150,489sf of exhibition space in a 220,000sf building. The Palais des Congress has 35638sf of exhibition space.

That gives Ottawa-Gatineau 243,867sf of exhibition space across three facilities compared to to Calgary's 395,210sf across two facilities.

Don't forget the Casino du Lac Leamy Congress Centre, which will have 100k square feet within a few years.

That said, I still love the idea of expanding our Convention Centre into Nordstrom, and opening the whole thing up to the roof top terrace. I just highly doubt the current Provincial Government cares enough about Ottawa to even think about this, let alone fund it.

[SL123]

I Dont know if this is news or not but it was for me! There's a for sale sign on the old Hudson Bay building instead of a retail space for rent sign

[dougvdh]

I feel like an Activate franchise could do alright in either the Bay or Nordstrom space. Not that it would fill the entire space, but the ones I've been in were probably 20,000 sqft.

[Aylmer]

Incomplete idea, but as someone who lives in the neighbourhood, I'm fantasizing about a YMCA-type facility with sports and spaces for community activities (classes, meetings, etc.).

[Williamoforange]

Originally Posted by Aylmer

Incomplete idea, but as someone who lives in the neighbourhood, I'm fantasizing about a YMCA-type facility with sports and spaces for community activities (classes, meetings, etc.).

Would solve multiple problems, 1st being the lack of recreational facility in that area, the second being heritage as no better body to pay for heritage then society at large. Though there are probably cheaper locations in that area such as including it as part of a OCH intensification project.

Option B is secondary space for the downtown convention center, though Nordstrom is probably a better spot for that

[J.OT13]

Still holding on hope for the Convention Centre to expand into Nordstrom, but I doubt that will happen.

YMCA decided against selling the current location for now, but moving is still very much part of their plans in the medium term. I suspect LeBreton would be their target location so they can build new.

As for HBC, something like Activate or RecRoom would be great. I doubt another retailer will take up that space. It will likely be redeveloped into housing, and if that's the case, I'm hoping for something along the lines of what they did with Victoria's historic HBC building (not the first time I mention it).

Maybe the NCC will snatch it up and do something interesting with it.

[lrt's friend]

I really don't think the HBC building is suitable for housing. It has too deep dimensions. Somehow, this needs to remain a retail hub. Look at what Montreal has accomplished with former downtown department stores, breaking the space down into smaller retailers.

The hope for retail. is the substantial extension of LRT and return to the office.

While I favour more residences downtown, we can't turn the area into a sleepy residential area mainly only for locals. I have said that before.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

I really don't think the HBC building is suitable for housing. It has too deep dimensions. Somehow, this needs to remain a retail hub. Look at what Montreal has accomplished with former downtown department stores, breaking the space down into smaller retailers.

The hope for retail. is the substantial extension of LRT and return to the office.

While I favour more residences downtown, we can't turn the area into a sleepy residential area mainly only for locals. I have said that before.

What they did in Victoria was hollow out the middle for a courtyard, essentially turning the building into a square donut. They are doing the same in Winnipeg with their HBC (given to the Indigenous a few years before the death of HBC).

I would prefer the building as a whole be preserved, but the Victoria and Winnipeg models are probably a more likely way to reuse the building without demolishing it completely and ending up with just the stone Rideau facade left of the building's history.

[YOWflier]

It would (partially) make an awesome Eataly location.

[SL123]

As much as I would love to have an Eataly in Ottawa and cant help but think this would kill la Bottega in the market and we dont have that many instituation like these left.

[YOWflier]

It would certainly kill La Bottega. Some Eatalys have a hybrid ownership structure including local ownership; maybe the Nicastro family could participate.

[c_speed3108]

The Ottawa Business Journal is reporting the former Hudson Bay store on Rideau has been sold to a numbered company in an agreement signed by Claridge Homes CFO Neil Malhotra.

https://obj.ca/former-bay-store-on-rideau-acquired/

UPDATED: Former Bay store on Rideau Street acquired by company linked to Claridge Homes


The former Hudson’s Bay store on Rideau Street is being acquired by a numbered company in an agreement signed by Claridge Homes chief financial officer Neil Malhotra, new court documents show.

A company identified as 2808771 Ontario Ltd. has agreed to purchase the former department store at 73, 85 and 87 Rideau St. in a deal that was signed March 19, documents recently filed in Ontario Superior Court show.

The purchase price for the property – which covers more than 330,000 square feet over five storeys on Rideau Street – has been redacted from the signed agreement. According to the court documents, CBRE, which marketed the property on behalf of the court-appointed receiver, signed confidentiality agreements with 16 parties interested in buying the former Bay space.

The receiver is seeking court approval for the transaction next Monday. The Ottawa deal is the first of four agreements to seek court approval. Other purchase agreements have been made for the former Bay spaces in Vancouver, Calgary and Windsor, with separate buyers.

In three of the four deals, the buyers are major residential developers, suggesting the spaces will be at least partly repurposed as housing.

The Vancouver Hudson’s Bay site is being acquired by prominent local developer Onni Group, while the Bay building in Calgary is being purchased by Astra Real Estate, whose subsidiary PeopleFirst Developments has been a trailblazer at converting empty offices in the Alberta city’s downtown core into apartment complexes.

Meanwhile, the former Bay store in Windsor’s Devonshire Mall is being acquired by the shopping centre’s owner, Primaris REIT.

The four properties are among 12 that Hudson’s Bay owned in a joint venture with RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust. The Bay owned a 78 per cent stake, with RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust holding the remaining 22 per cent.

Last May, RioCan filed a motion asking the Ontario Superior Court to appoint FTI Consulting Canada Inc. receiver of the companies that spanned the venture.

Malhotra declined to comment on the court filing Thursday.

Toronto-based retail analyst Bruce Winder welcomed the sale, saying it marks another step in ongoing efforts to revitalize Ottawa’s downtown.

“We don’t know all the details, but it’s encouraging,” he said in an interview Thursday afternoon.

“I’ve always thought it was a pretty good area. I know there are certain parts of the (ByWard) Market that are a little sketchy, but I thought it would be sort of a marquee area at least being close to the action downtown. And it’s nice to see the space (is going to be) filled. It’s a bit of an eyesore. When you have that much space that remains unfilled, it doesn’t do wonders for the downtown area.”

Claridge is one of Ottawa’s most prominent housing developers, with a list of high-profile projects to its name that includes the city’s tallest building – the 469-foot Icon condo tower at the corner of Carling Avenue and Preston Street.

But up to now, the firm has mostly steered clear of converting office and retail buildings to residential complexes. That appears about to change with its acquisition of the former Bay space on Rideau, which Winder predicted will likely be redeveloped as a mixed-use property with retailers on the ground floor and residential units above.

“That’ll be really interesting to see what they come up with,” he said. “If they’re building something brand new versus refurbishing an existing (building), it’s a very different set of skills, a very different approach.

“I’m not sure if there’s an appetite for office (space) … but for sure it’ll be mixed-use. There will be some retail tucked in there too, I’m sure.”

The pending sales come more than a year after the iconic Canadian department store chain filed for creditor protection in March 2025.

Soon after, the Bay permanently closed all of its stores – including its flagship Ottawa location on Rideau Street and stores in the Bayshore and St. Laurent shopping centres.

Store leases at Bayshore, which is owned by KingSett Capital, and St. Laurent, which is owned by Morguard Investments, were among the 25 that B.C. billionaire Ruby Liu wanted to purchase in a bid to turn them into a new department store brand with entertainment and dining space.

However, her efforts met with stiff opposition from mall landlords Cadillac Fairview, Oxford Properties, Ivanhoé Cambridge, Primaris Management, QuadReal Property, Morguard Investments and KingSett Capital, which spent months fighting HBC’s attempt to sell Liu the leases. A court later blocked the sale, agreeing Liu’s business plan was insufficient for the properties she wanted to take over.

Candice Lerner-Fry, head of the retail leasing division in the Ottawa office of Marcus & Millichap, told OBJ last fall landlords at Bayshore, St. Laurent and Place d’Orléans – which was home to Ottawa’s other Bay location – were in talks with a number of retailers to take over space formerly occupied by the department store and expected to fill the vacancies soon.

On Thursday, Winder said it’s been a challenge for many malls to backfill the former Bay spaces.

“These are big, legacy boxes that really don’t fit today’s modern retail footprint for the most part.”

– With files from The Canadian Press

[kevinbottawa]

The architecture for the downtown Ottawa store would suit a hotel too. But I was hoping Cadillac Fairview would've bought it to expand the Rideau Centre.