It didn’t take long for shopping-starved Maple Ridge residents to find the new place in town. By noon Wednesday, the parking lot was full in Haney Place Mall and people were streaming into the new Target store.
“I like it because I think it’s good for families,” Susan Bingham said after leaving the store. Target has better quality kids’ clothes and more variety, while the food section adds to shopping convenience.
The store “doesn’t even compare,” to the old Zeller’s.
“It kind of reminds me of the days of Woodward’s. They have people to help you find things.”
Sharon Moody also liked what she saw. “It’s wonderful. Great store,” she said.
“Things are easier to find. It’s well organized.”
For Donna Zimmerman, the Maple Ridge location is better than the Coquitlam store, which opened earlier. “From what I saw, I was quite impressed. This certainly seems to be well stocked.
“Without this here, we don’t have any shopping in Maple Ridge.”
Janet Krvavac, though, wasn’t impressed with the quality of the clothes, saying they were tacky. “Even in Bellis Fair [in Bellingham, Wash.] I looked and I was disappointed.”
But she liked the food section and said the store was well designed.
Still, more shopping options are needed, she said.
“We’ve needed a shopping mall. We need it here now, but we’ve got this council that doesn’t seem to want to do it. I think we need to get rid of these old fuddy-duddies that don’t have a vision for the future.”
Krvavac was familiar with the issues of a shopping mall in the Albion flats, which could siphon off business from the downtown, but said there should be a larger shopping centre in the downtown.
“It would create jobs. We’re getting sick of all these tolls.”
A consultant’s report to council recently noted Maple Ridge has a shortage of electronics retailers, as well as men’s and women’s clothing stores.
Inside the Target store, there’s no resemblance to the former Zellers – red walls and shiny floors, a new escalator and cashier stations, and modern displays, and in one corner, a Starbucks coffee shop.
Target spent about $11 million on the expansion and renovation of the Zellers, bringing the building to a total of about 111,000 sq. feet.
Maple Ridge Mayor Ernie Daykin liked the renovation job that was done on the 35-year-old building that anchored the west end of Haney Place Mall.
With Thrifty Foods at the east end, “We have strong anchors at both ends of the mall now.”
Daykin said he’s hoping Target will give all of the mall a lift.
Part of that is already happening, with new floors and ceilings being installed throughout the mall.
He sees the three-tower residential complex planned for Brown Avenue and Edge Street, that’s just been sent to public hearing, as the next step for the downtown.
That project will be built in three phases over about seven or eight years.
“That’s going to change the face of the community.”
While Maple Ridge’s downtown incentive plan has sparked several new residential projects, the program expires this year. That will be replaced by a new incentive plan, using grants and tax exemptions and fast tracking, that is aimed at encouraging commercial and industrial growth.
Daykin said that the new Chances Maple Ridge gaming centre on 227th Street is also bringing people into the downtown as the new road connects people in the suburbs below.