The Shops at Pickering City Centre

The Shops at Pickering City Centre is a regional shopping centre in Pickering, Ontario, serving the eastern Greater Toronto Area. The property opened in 1972 as Pickering Sheridan Mall with approximately 80 stores and later became widely known as Pickering Town Centre, or PTC. In May 2024, it adopted the name The Shops at Pickering City Centre as part of a broader repositioning connected with the planned redevelopment of the surrounding site. The centre combines retail, food, entertainment and service uses. Its tenant mix has changed substantially over time in response to the restructuring of Canadian department stores, the arrival and departure of Target Canada, and shifts in consumer demand. Current and recent offerings have included fashion retailers, beauty and optical services, grocery, restaurants, a pharmacy, entertainment and large-format stores. The centre has also accommodated national chains such as H&M, Winners/HomeSense, Farm Boy, Cineplex Cinemas, Shoppers Drug Mart and Saks Off 5th at different points in its history. The mall’s first major renovation took place in 1998. A larger refurbishment carried out during 2008 and 2009 reportedly involved an investment of approximately $17 million. The work updated floors, ceilings, lighting and seating areas and added an elevator, giving the interior a more contemporary appearance. The property subsequently underwent further tenant and space changes as former anchor stores closed or were replaced. A major operational disruption occurred on November 28, 2016, when a broken water main caused extensive flooding. Most lower-level stores and the seasonal Santa’s Castle attraction closed temporarily. Many affected stores had reopened by December 1 of that year. The incident became one of the most notable events in the centre’s recent operating history. The closure of Target Canada in 2015 created a substantial vacant department-store-format space. Beginning in 2017 and continuing into 2018, the former Target area was repurposed for a combination of uses, including Saks Off 5th, Farm Boy and Cineplex Cinemas 11 and VIP. Winners/HomeSense and Hakim Optical were also added during the subsequent tenant reshaping. Other former anchors have included Kmart, Eaton’s, Zellers, Famous Players, Sport Chek, Sears and Hudson’s Bay. Their departures reflect broader changes in Canadian retail and department-store formats rather than a single continuous tenant strategy. The current development direction is defined by the Pickering City Centre master plan. The project is intended to create a denser mixed-use community around the shopping centre and the civic precinct. Its first phase includes two residential towers, planned at approximately 40 and 45 storeys, with mixed-use podiums and residential units. Construction is underway on the west side of the property. The plan also calls for the removal of the Hudson’s Bay wing, requiring some retailers in that corridor to relocate or leave the centre. Hudson’s Bay closed at the property in 2025, while other spaces have been reused or prepared for new tenants. The centre remains an active retail and entertainment destination, but its identity is increasingly tied to urban intensification. The renamed brand signals a broader city-centre concept rather than only a conventional enclosed mall. New and announced uses referenced for the redevelopment period include Sephora, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Dave’s Hot Chicken, Pickleplex, MINISO and the planned Splitsville entertainment venue. Some reported openings and scheduled dates remain subject to construction and leasing progress.

The property opened in 1972 as Pickering Sheridan Mall, beginning with about 80 stores. It was developed to serve the growing suburban population of Pickering and the surrounding eastern Greater Toronto Area. Over time, the centre expanded its regional role and became commonly identified as Pickering Town Centre, often abbreviated PTC. The centre experienced its first significant renovation in 1998. A more extensive refurbishment followed in 2008 and 2009, with reported spending of approximately $17 million. The project modernized interior finishes, including floors, ceilings and lighting, added seating areas and provided an additional elevator. These changes improved the centre’s common areas and helped maintain its competitiveness as a regional enclosed mall. Its anchor history reflects the evolution of Canadian retail. Former major occupants included Dominion, Kmart, Eaton’s, Zellers, Target, Famous Players, Sport Chek, Sears, Saks Off 5th and Hudson’s Bay. Several of these businesses left because of corporate closures, bankruptcies, format changes or broader department-store retrenchment. The departures repeatedly created opportunities to reconfigure large floor plates for entertainment, grocery, value retail and other uses. Target Canada’s exit in 2015 was particularly significant. The former Target space was subsequently divided and repurposed. Farm Boy, Cineplex Cinemas 11 and VIP, and Saks Off 5th were among the uses associated with that transition from 2017 onward. In 2018, Winners/HomeSense and Hakim Optical were added, while Cineplex became the principal cinema operator after the closure of the former Famous Players theatre. On November 28, 2016, a broken water main flooded the shopping centre. The incident affected much of the lower level and forced the temporary closure of numerous stores and the Santa’s Castle seasonal attraction. The centre recovered quickly, with most stores reported to have reopened by December 1. The property’s current phase is shaped by the Pickering City Centre master plan. In May 2024, the mall was renamed The Shops at Pickering City Centre. The new name accompanies a broader ambition to create a mixed-use, high-density urban district rather than operate solely as a traditional shopping mall. The initial redevelopment phase includes two residential towers planned at roughly 40 and 45 storeys, together with mixed-use podiums. Construction is underway on the west side of the property. The plan also includes removal of the Hudson’s Bay wing. That change affects retailers in the corridor, some of which may need to relocate or close. Hudson’s Bay was reported to have closed at the centre in 2025. The former Sears building was also associated with demolition and potential residential redevelopment. During the transition, new or replacement tenants and concepts were reported, including Dave’s Hot Chicken, Pickleplex, Sephora, Chipotle Mexican Grill, MINISO and the planned Splitsville venue. Because the project remains in progress, the final tenant mix, timing and configuration may change. Today, The Shops at Pickering City Centre combines established retail functions with redevelopment-led urban intensification. Its history is therefore a combination of suburban mall evolution, anchor replacement and a transition toward a mixed-use city-centre model.

• 2026

  Additional food, beauty and entertainment uses reported

  [1]The Shops at Pickering City Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Chipotle and Sephora were reported as new operating concepts, with Splitsville planned for a future opening during the redevelopment period.

• 2025

  Hudson’s Bay space enters transition

  [1]The Shops at Pickering City Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Hudson’s Bay closed at the centre, while the master plan called for removal of the associated wing and repositioning of nearby space.

• 2024

  Name changed to The Shops at Pickering City Centre

  [1]The Shops at Pickering City Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The property adopted its current name in May 2024 as redevelopment advanced around the shopping centre and civic precinct.

• 2018

  Further tenant reshaping

  [1]The Shops at Pickering City Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Winners/HomeSense and Hakim Optical were added, while Cineplex became the main cinema operator after the former Famous Players theatre closed.

• 2017

  Former Target space begins to be reoccupied

  [1]The Shops at Pickering City Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Farm Boy, Saks Off 5th and Cineplex Cinemas 11 and VIP were among the uses introduced in the former Target area.

• 2016

  Flooding caused by broken water main

  [1]The Shops at Pickering City Centreen.wikipedia.org

  A water-main break flooded the centre, temporarily closing most lower-level stores and the Santa’s Castle attraction.

• 2015

  Target Canada closure creates redevelopment opportunity

  [1]The Shops at Pickering City Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The closure of Target Canada left a large vacant space that was later divided among new retail, grocery and entertainment tenants.

• 2009

  Refurbishment completed

  [1]The Shops at Pickering City Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The reported $17 million renovation programme was completed, giving the interior a more contemporary design.

• 2008

  Major refurbishment begins

  [1]The Shops at Pickering City Centreen.wikipedia.org

  A substantial refurbishment programme began, continuing through 2009 and updating common areas, lighting, finishes, seating and vertical circulation.

• 1998

  First major renovation

  [1]The Shops at Pickering City Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The property underwent its first significant renovation as it continued to develop its role as a regional shopping centre.

• 1972

  Opening as Pickering Sheridan Mall

  [1]The Shops at Pickering City Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The centre opened with approximately 80 stores under the name Pickering Sheridan Mall.

A regional shopping and entertainment centre evolving into a mixed-use, high-density city-centre district serving Pickering and the eastern Greater Toronto Area.

• Commercial real estate · 1972

  Regional shopping centre

  The core offering is a multi-tenant enclosed shopping centre serving Pickering and nearby communities. It provides retail units, common areas, customer circulation, parking and shopping-centre services for national, regional and local tenants.

• Retail · 1972

  Retail and fashion stores

  The centre has hosted a broad fashion and general-merchandise mix, including H&M, Winners/HomeSense and other apparel, footwear and accessories retailers. The precise tenant roster changes as redevelopment and leasing continue.

• Food retail · 2017

  Food and grocery retail

  Food-related uses have included the Farm Boy grocery market and a variety of restaurants and quick-service concepts. New food tenants reported during redevelopment include Dave’s Hot Chicken and Chipotle Mexican Grill.

• Entertainment · 2017

  Cineplex Cinemas 11 and VIP

  The cinema complex provides movie exhibition and premium VIP screening facilities. It was introduced in the former Target-area reconfiguration and became the principal cinema offering after the former Famous Players theatre closed.

• Mixed-use development

  Pickering City Centre mixed-use redevelopment

  The master plan expands the property beyond conventional mall use through residential towers, mixed-use podiums and a denser urban environment linked to the civic precinct. The first two towers are planned at approximately 40 and 45 storeys.

• 2024

  Adopt city-centre positioning and begin major redevelopmentStrategy

  Background

  The property was being repositioned as part of a larger Pickering City Centre master plan focused on higher density and mixed-use development.

  Action taken

  The mall was renamed The Shops at Pickering City Centre and construction began on the first phase of two planned residential towers with mixed-use podiums.

  Aftermath

  The brand became associated with a broader urban-development project. The plan also requires changes to the Hudson’s Bay wing and relocation or closure of some affected tenants.

  Source

• 2017

  Reconfigure former Target spaceStrategy

  Background

  Target Canada’s 2015 closure created a large vacant anchor space and required a new tenant strategy.

  Action taken

  The former Target area was adapted for Saks Off 5th, Cineplex Cinemas 11 and VIP, and Farm Boy.

  Aftermath

  The centre replaced a single department-store-format tenant with a combination of value retail, grocery and entertainment uses.

  Source

• 2008

  Undertake major interior refurbishmentOther

  Background

  The shopping centre pursued a substantial modernization programme to refresh its common areas and maintain its regional retail position.

  Action taken

  Floors, ceilings, lighting and seating areas were updated, and an additional elevator was added during work carried through 2009.

  Aftermath

  The completed refurbishment gave the centre a more contemporary interior and supported its continued operation as a regional mall.

  Reported renovation investment. $17 million (2008-2009)

  Source

1. 1The Shops at Pickering City Centreen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Official websitepickeringtowncentre.com