Lincoln Fields Shopping Centre

Lincoln Fields Shopping Centre was a community-oriented enclosed shopping centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It occupied a site in the Lincoln Heights neighbourhood between Carling Avenue and Richmond Road, immediately west of the Lincoln Fields transit station. Although the property was ultimately known by the Lincoln Fields name, it was rebranded as Lincoln Heights Galleria in 1985; local usage continued to favour the older Lincoln Fields identity. The centre originated in a much larger 1960s development concept called Cinema City. The original proposal contemplated a roughly CA$25 million, three-storey complex with more than 80 stores, a three-screen cinema and four luxury apartment buildings. The project was delayed, repeatedly reduced in scope and affected by rising construction costs. The initial developers eventually sold the land to another development team, which replaced the ambitious scheme with a simpler single-storey shopping centre. Construction began on June 9, 1971, and the completed mall opened on May 24, 1972, becoming Ottawa's third enclosed shopping centre. For much of its operating life, the centre served nearby residents with a mix of everyday retail, food service and convenience-oriented tenants. Its role was that of a neighbourhood and community mall rather than a major regional destination. A 1985 renovation produced the Lincoln Heights Galleria branding, but the centre retained strong local recognition as Lincoln Fields. The property later faced structural and commercial pressure as retail patterns changed and competition from larger shopping destinations increased. A major turning point came in 2016, when Walmart closed its Lincoln Fields location and moved to Bayshore Shopping Centre. The departure removed the mall's largest and most important traffic generator and substantially reduced customer visits. The centre's decline was also reflected in changes to its tenancy and in the eventual decision to end leases. In January 2019, it was announced that leases would terminate on July 31 of that year. The mall was closed in October 2019 amid changing demographics and the loss of key tenants. The site was then cleared in stages. The eastern portion was demolished during the summer of 2020. Rexall and Metro continued operating temporarily in the remaining area before relocating to newly constructed premises in 2021. The western portion of the former mall was demolished in 2021. RioCan has been associated with longer-term redevelopment plans involving high-density residential towers, indicating a transition from a traditional enclosed shopping centre to a mixed-use urban redevelopment site. The original mall brand is therefore defunct, although the Lincoln Fields name remains relevant as a neighbourhood and transit-area reference.

Lincoln Fields Shopping Centre developed from a substantially larger 1964 concept known as Cinema City. That proposal envisioned a major mixed-use complex with more than 80 stores, three floors of retail, a three-screen cinema and four luxury apartment buildings. Its proposed opening date was March 1967, but the project did not proceed on that schedule. Delays, repeated reductions in scope and sharply higher projected construction costs undermined the original plan. The estimated cost eventually rose from approximately CA$25 million to about $85 million. The original developers later sold the site to a new group. Rather than pursuing Cinema City's large-scale design, the new developers proposed a much smaller single-storey shopping centre with an estimated cost of $3.8 million. Groundbreaking took place on June 9, 1971, and the mall opened on May 24, 1972. It became Ottawa's third enclosed shopping centre and served the surrounding Lincoln Heights area as a local retail destination. The property underwent renovations in 1985 and adopted the Lincoln Heights Galleria name. Despite the formal rebranding, residents continued to call it Lincoln Fields, and that name remained the centre's strongest public identity. The tenant mix was oriented toward practical community needs, including grocery, pharmacy, general merchandise, dining and services. Walmart became a particularly important anchor during the mall's later years, while Metro and Rexall represented continuing everyday-retail functions. The centre's commercial position weakened as shopping habits, neighbourhood demographics and competition changed. Walmart closed its store in 2016 and moved to Bayshore Shopping Centre, taking away a major source of traffic. In November 2018, a separate Wendy's building on Carling Avenue was destroyed by a fire that police said had been deliberately set. The incident added to the centre's difficulties but was not the principal cause of its eventual closure. In January 2019, plans were announced to terminate the mall's leases on July 31. Lincoln Fields Shopping Centre closed in October 2019. Demolition and relocation proceeded in phases rather than through an immediate complete clearance. The eastern half was demolished in summer 2020. Metro and Rexall remained in operation for a period and subsequently moved into newly built spaces in 2021. The western half was demolished during 2021. The property's post-mall future has been linked to RioCan redevelopment plans for high-density residential towers. This proposed direction reflects the changing economics of older suburban shopping centres and the strategic value of land near established roads and transit infrastructure. Lincoln Fields Shopping Centre consequently represents the lifecycle of a mid-century community mall: an ambitious original vision, a scaled-down opening, a long period of neighbourhood service, anchor loss and eventual conversion of the site toward higher-density development.

• 2021

  Remaining retail operations relocate and western half is demolished

  [1]Lincoln Fields Shopping Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Metro and Rexall moved to new spaces, while the western part of the former mall was demolished.

• 2020

  Eastern half demolished

  [1]Lincoln Fields Shopping Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The eastern portion of the former mall was demolished during the summer.

• 2019

  Mall closes

  [1]Lincoln Fields Shopping Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The centre closed in October after lease-termination plans and the loss of major traffic-generating tenants.

• 2016

  Walmart departs

  [1]Lincoln Fields Shopping Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Walmart closed its store and relocated to Bayshore Shopping Centre, weakening the mall's anchor base.

• 1985

  Rebranded as Lincoln Heights Galleria

  [1]Lincoln Fields Shopping Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Renovations were accompanied by a formal name change, although local residents continued using Lincoln Fields.

• 1972

  Shopping centre opens

  [1]Lincoln Fields Shopping Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The centre opened on May 24 and became Ottawa's third enclosed shopping centre.

• 1971

  Construction begins

  [1]Lincoln Fields Shopping Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Groundbreaking for the scaled-down single-storey shopping centre took place on June 9.

• 1964

  Cinema City proposal introduced

  [1]Lincoln Fields Shopping Centreen.wikipedia.org

  A large mixed-use retail and entertainment project called Cinema City was proposed for the future Lincoln Fields site.

A neighbourhood-oriented enclosed shopping centre serving the Lincoln Heights and western Ottawa communities, with an emphasis on everyday retail, food and convenience services rather than destination luxury or regional specialty shopping.

• General merchandise anchor

  Walmart

  Walmart was the centre's principal large-format anchor in its later years. Its 2016 closure and relocation to Bayshore Shopping Centre removed a major source of visits and materially weakened the mall's commercial position.

• Grocery

  Metro

  Metro provided grocery shopping for the surrounding community and remained in operation after the enclosed mall closed. It later moved into a newly built space on or near the redeveloped property.

• Pharmacy

  Rexall

  Rexall was a continuing pharmacy and convenience-health retailer at the site. Like Metro, it operated through the transition period and subsequently relocated to newly constructed premises.

• Quick-service restaurant

  Wendy's

  A Wendy's restaurant occupied a separate building facing Carling Avenue. The building was destroyed by a fire in November 2018 that police described as deliberately set.

• 2018

  Deliberate fire at Wendy's building

  A separate Wendy's restaurant building fronting Carling Avenue burned in November 2018. Police said the fire was deliberately set. The incident concerned a tenant facility and was not reported as misconduct by the shopping-centre brand itself.

  Source

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• 2021

  Site transition toward high-density redevelopmentStrategy

  Background

  The enclosed shopping-centre format had ended, while everyday retailers required replacement premises.

  Action taken

  Metro and Rexall relocated to newly built spaces, and the western half of the former mall was demolished. RioCan's longer-term plans call for high-density residential towers.

  Aftermath

  The original shopping-centre structure and operating model disappeared, leaving the site associated with future mixed-use redevelopment.

  Source

• 2020

  Phased demolition beginsStrategy

  Background

  After closure, the site was prepared for a new development direction.

  Action taken

  The eastern half of the shopping centre was demolished.

  Aftermath

  Metro and Rexall continued temporarily before moving to new spaces, and the western half was removed in 2021.

  Source

• 2019

  Lease termination and mall closureStrategy

  Background

  The centre faced changing demographics, reduced traffic and the loss of Walmart and other tenants.

  Action taken

  Leases were announced for termination on July 31, and the mall closed in October.

  Aftermath

  The property entered a phased demolition and redevelopment process.

  Source

• 2016

  Walmart relocates to Bayshore Shopping CentreStrategy

  Background

  Walmart's departure occurred amid changing retail patterns and competition among Ottawa shopping centres.

  Action taken

  The Walmart store at Lincoln Fields closed and the retailer moved to Bayshore Shopping Centre.

  Aftermath

  The former mall lost a significant traffic generator and experienced a substantial decline in clientele.

  Source

• 1985

  Renovation and rebranding as Lincoln Heights GalleriaStrategy

  Background

  The centre sought to refresh its identity after more than a decade of operation.

  Action taken

  Following renovations, the property adopted the Lincoln Heights Galleria name while retaining the Lincoln Fields identity in local usage.

  Aftermath

  The rebranding did not displace the older name among residents.

  Source

1. 1Lincoln Fields Shopping Centreen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Lincoln Fields Shopping Centre official websitelincolnfieldsshoppingcentre.ca