The Kildonan Mile Shops project will also offer luxury accommodations
Local developer Shindico plans to begin construction in the spring of next year in a project called the Shops of Kildonan Mile, which will include more than 500,000 square feet of high-end apartment buildings and more than three million square feet in Retail.
The company describes the project as being one of the “first substantial retail growth in over a decade,” located at the intersection of Regent Avenue and Lagimodiere Boulevard.
President Sandy Shindleman said the project had been in the works for more than 10 years. She added that as time has passed, the scope of the project and goals have evolved because of the shift in the market.
The initial plans were centered around big-box retailers; however, Shindleman stated that there was little demand for it in the area, which already has plenty of it. The plan now is to build residential units around 150 units initially, but this could rise, he said, and retail stores that meet “everyday needs.” This includes a variety of clothing, food service, other items, and tenant services, like salons, dental clinics, and others.
The plan demonstrates confidence in the outlook for retail sales in the city that Shindleman states have remained stable throughout the epidemic despite concerns initially that the market might decline. “It’s stayed steady,” Shindleman said. “We’ve had a lot of people succeeding.” Many tenants have increased in size, including a pet supply store a dental clinic, and some properties that have been vacant for a long time are starting to fill up. “It’s busy, and people are making deals.”
Although the pandemic brought additional complications to retail businesses, it didn’t completely deter entrepreneurs from starting their businesses, Shindleman said. “There are still people looking to start,” he stated, with second-generation (already constructed and previously filled) spaces leasing being offered at a steady pace. In addition, he noted the nearby Kildonan Place mall has been good, with plenty of leases.
“We’re excited about both the land and the concept,” he added.
Shindleman’s claim that the pace of retail growth has been steady is confirmed by the retail council of Canada’s latest Retail by the Numbers reports, which provide data about consumer behavior taken from Statistics Canada, both nationally and provincially. They also track adjusted sales numbers. The numbers for 2020-21 are heavily influenced by the lower spending during the initial year of the pandemic, especially in Manitoba, where the province was particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. It also was subject to several restrictions on sales in December 2020, according to Kate Skipton, a senior policy analyst with the Retail Council.
The report from February used data from until the end of 2021 and reported that in Manitoba, overall retail sales increased by 23 percent in December 2021 year on year, compared to 2020. Sales of appliances and electronics increased by 25, as were furniture and home furnishings sales by 21 percent, building supplies and gardening equipment sales increased by 17 percent, and auto parts sales increased by 13 percent.
The biggest increase in sales year-over-year was seen in clothing and accessories, which experienced a growth of 177 percent in 2021 compared to 2020. At the same time, the sales of sporting goods, hobbies, music, and book sales increased by 70 percent. In general, merchandise sales increased by 48 percent.
In the United States, the growth was much less noticeable Unadjusted retail sales increased by nine percent. Cent. The report says she would likely be greater had an increase within this Omicron variant not occurred in December.
The council also concluded that the national retail industry ended the year on an upbeat performance, particularly in comparison to a slowing 2020. Since the year began, Manitoba’s sales dropped back to the norm: the percent increase in sales in January 2022 decreased to 6.1 percent from 2021. Nationally the numbers showed a 12 percent increase over January 2021.
Concerning what’s happening with the Kildonan Mile development, Shindleman states that the company is getting entitlements approved and said an extension of multi-million dollars for Reenders Drive is complete.
