The new skylight at The Core |
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| Location | Calgary Alberta Canada |
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| Address | 317 7 Ave SW T2P 2Y9 |
| Opening date | 1977, 1990 |
| Management | 20 VIC Management Inc. |
| No. of stores and services | 160 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 4 |
| Total retail floor area | 55,742 m2 (600,000 sq ft) |
| No. of floors | 4 |
| Website | Core Shopping |
The CORE Shopping Centre, which consists of TD Square, the Holt Renfrew building, and the former Calgary Eaton Centre, is the dominant shopping complex located in the downtown core of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It spans three city blocks and contains approximately 160 retailers on four levels. The property also contains four major office towers (TD Canada Trust Tower, Home Oil Tower, Dome Tower) and the historic Lancaster Building. It is the hub of downtown Calgary’s +15 skywalk system, and as such is the busiest shopping centre in the City by pedestrian count, with around 250,000 visitors passing through each week.[1] The centre's architectural focal point is a vast suspended glass skylight which spans the length complex. As of October 29, 2010, The CORE offers free evening and weekend parking at its underground lots.[2]
The CORE is bounded by 8th Avenue SW (Stephen Avenue pedestrian mall) on the south, 7th Avenue SW (LRT Corridor rapid transit line) on the north, and extends above 3rd Street SW (Barclay Parade) and 4th Street SW. The mall is directly connected to the neighbouring retail complexes of Bankers Hall (south) and Scotia Centre/Hudson’s Bay Store (east) via the +15 skywalk system. It also contains the Devonian Gardens, a unique 2.5-acre (1.0 ha) glass-enclosed indoor botanical park, currently closed for renovations (scheduled to re-open Spring/Summer 2012).[3]
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The T. Eaton Co. opened its original department store on the site in 1929. In 1977, it was joined by TD Square (originally named Oxford Square) to the east. TD Square, an office and shopping complex, covered four levels over an entire block and contained the original Devonian Gardens indoor botanical garden. In 1990, Eaton's store was relocated into a new building one block west and a four-level shopping centre, the Calgary Eaton Centre, was built on its original site. The historic front facade of the original Eaton’s store was carefully preserved and remains today in its original location. Following the closure of the Eaton’s chain in 2002, Sears acted as an anchor store until 2008 when it was closed to make way for Holt Renfrew's expansion. The combination of the two centres resulted in the property being rebranded “The CORE”, however the property is still referred to as The CORE - TD Square.
The centre has just completed a three year, multi-million dollar redevelopment project which has unified the complex under a continuous 85-foot-wide (26 m), 656-foot-long (200 m) suspended glass skylight. The skylight was completed in November 2009, and is the largest point-supported structural glass skylight in the world.[4] The new skylight creates the feel of an outdoor streetscape on the third floor, which incorporates two-storey retail facades with exterior grade materials. Heavy construction work forced numerous retailers to close or relocate during the renovation, most of which have renovated or expanded. The renovation also widened the concourses, replaced all interior finishes and facilities, expanded the food court and added a structural glass bridge on the fourth floor of the complex. It also added several 'living green walls' near the entrances to the future Devonian Gardens space.
The Core Shopping Centre is anchored by:
Junior anchors include Banana Republic (carrying shoes and the upscale 'Monogram' line), Birks (including a Rolex boutique), Gap/Gap Kids, HMV, Indigospirit Books & Music, and Shoppers Drug Mart.
Most of the above are new to the former TD Square/Eaton Centre, with exceptions including HMV, Indigospirit (which formerly operated as Coles), Birks and Shopper's Drug Mart. HMV was one of the only stores not to either relocate or undergo major renovation as part of the redevelopment.
The CORE Shopping Centre is Calgary’s destination for high-end luxury goods and apparel. Holt Renfrew contains shops for Chanel, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, and Tiffany & Co., among others.[5] Harry Rosen contains shops for Armani Collezioni, Brunello Cucinelli, Canali, Ermenegildo Zegna, Hugo Boss, and Tom Ford.[8] Brooks Brothers contains the only Canadian locations for the 'Black Fleece' designer shop and 'Fleece' for boys and girls.[7]
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