Place d'Orléans

Place d'Orléans is an enclosed shopping mall in the Orléans suburb of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The centre serves a primarily suburban and eastern-Ottawa customer base and combines fashion, specialty retail, department-store-related space, food service, fitness, personal services, and community-oriented uses. The property covers approximately 740,000 square feet and has historically accommodated about 132 stores and services, making it one of the larger retail destinations in the eastern part of the National Capital Region. The mall was originally constructed in 1979, during a period of suburban expansion in Ottawa, and was subsequently enlarged in 1984, 1988, and 1990. These projects established the centre's principal enclosed-mall configuration and helped it become a significant retail node in Orléans. Its architectural approach was later cited as an influence on Meadowhall Shopping Centre in Sheffield, England, giving the Ottawa property a design connection beyond its local market. Place d'Orléans has hosted a succession of major department-store and discount anchors. Earlier tenants included Eaton's, Woolco, Robinson's, Consumers Distributing, Wal-Mart, Zellers, Target, and Hudson's Bay. Hudson's Bay expanded its presence in 1999 by adding a large home-goods store and also moved into the former Eaton's location. These changes altered the distribution of retail space within the mall and reduced the amount available for smaller retailers in parts of the upper level. Like many traditional enclosed malls in North America, Place d'Orléans has faced competitive pressure from big-box power centres, evolving shopping habits, department-store closures, and the broader transformation of physical retail. Its response has included tenant replacement, redevelopment of former anchor areas, food-service investment, and the continued use of the property for services in addition to conventional shopping. A northeastern wing containing several former anchor locations was demolished and rebuilt in 2017; the replacement area included Mark's and Aub44. The food court was substantially repositioned and renovated, reopening on the ground floor on November 1, 2019. The centre's tenant mix has included national chains such as Sport Chek, Mark's, H&M, Dollarama, Bath & Body Works, The Body Shop, Ardene, GoodLife Fitness, Tim Hortons, Starbucks, New York Fries, Subway, and A&W. It has also accommodated non-traditional occupants, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and a Service Canada passport office. Place d'Orléans is closely integrated with Ottawa's public-transportation network. Place d'Orléans station functions as an east-end hub for OC Transpo, connecting local bus routes with the Transitway. A park-and-ride facility on the opposite side of Highway 174 is linked to the station by a pedestrian bridge. The planned expansion of Ottawa's O-Train network was expected to convert the station into an LRT stop, reinforcing the mall's role as both a retail destination and a transportation-oriented suburban centre.

Place d'Orléans was developed as an enclosed suburban shopping centre in Orléans, an eastern suburb of Ottawa, and opened in 1979. Its construction reflected the growth of suburban residential communities and the increasing importance of automobile-oriented retail destinations in the Ottawa region. The mall was among the later enclosed malls built in Ottawa and was designed to provide a substantial concentration of department stores, specialty retailers, services, and food outlets under one roof. The property expanded in 1984, 1988, and 1990. These additions produced the centre's established size and layout, ultimately bringing it to approximately 740,000 square feet with roughly 132 stores and services. Its architecture subsequently served as an inspiration for Meadowhall Shopping Centre in Sheffield, England, although Place d'Orléans remained primarily a regional Ottawa retail property. Throughout its history, the mall's anchor lineup changed repeatedly in response to developments in Canadian department-store and discount retail. Former anchors included Eaton's, Woolco, Robinson's, Consumers Distributing, Wal-Mart, Zellers, Target, and Hudson's Bay. In 1999, Hudson's Bay expanded with a large home-store operation and relocated into the former Eaton's space. The changes consolidated substantial floor area under a major department-store tenant and reduced the number of smaller stores occupying some parts of the upper level. The centre later faced the same structural challenges affecting many North American enclosed malls. Big-box power centres offered consumers large-format stores, extensive parking, and competitive pricing, while department-store retrenchment and changing shopping patterns weakened the traditional enclosed-mall model. Place d'Orléans responded through tenant turnover, redevelopment, and a broader use of space. Its northeastern wing, which had contained several former anchor locations, was demolished and rebuilt in 2017. The new area included Mark's and Aub44, representing a shift toward smaller-format and specialized contemporary retail uses. The mall also invested in food service. Its food court was renovated and relocated to the ground floor, reopening on November 1, 2019. The resulting tenant mix combined apparel, beauty, sporting goods, household merchandise, restaurants, coffee shops, fitness, and everyday services. Examples associated with the centre include Sport Chek, Mark's, H&M, Dollarama, Bath & Body Works, The Body Shop, Ardene, GoodLife Fitness, Tim Hortons, Starbucks, New York Fries, Subway, and A&W. The property has also housed non-retail users such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and a Service Canada passport office. Transportation has remained central to the mall's role. Place d'Orléans station serves as an eastern OC Transpo hub, links local routes with the Transitway, and connects to a park-and-ride facility across Highway 174 through a pedestrian bridge. The planned O-Train Line 1 expansion was expected to convert the station into an LRT station, potentially increasing the site's accessibility and reinforcing its function as a combined retail, services, and transit destination.

• 2019

  Renovated food court opens

  [1]Place d'Orléansen.wikipedia.org

  The food court opens on the ground floor on November 1 after being renovated and relocated.

• 2017

  Northeastern wing rebuilt

  [1]Place d'Orléansen.wikipedia.org

  A northeastern wing containing several former anchor locations is demolished and replaced with new space including Mark's and Aub44.

• 1999

  Hudson's Bay expands and relocates

  [1]Place d'Orléansen.wikipedia.org

  Hudson's Bay adds a large home-store operation and moves into the former Eaton's location.

• 1990

  Third major expansion

  [1]Place d'Orléansen.wikipedia.org

  A further expansion brings the mall to its documented established size and configuration.

• 1988

  Second major expansion

  [1]Place d'Orléansen.wikipedia.org

  Place d'Orléans is enlarged again as the suburban retail centre grows.

• 1984

  First major expansion

  [1]Place d'Orléansen.wikipedia.org

  The property undergoes the first of three documented major expansions that shape its later configuration.

• 1979

  Place d'Orléans opens

  [1]Place d'Orléansen.wikipedia.org

  The enclosed shopping mall is originally constructed in Orléans, an eastern suburb of Ottawa.

A large suburban enclosed mall serving Orléans and eastern Ottawa through a broad mix of national retailers, food outlets, services, redevelopment space, and direct access to public transportation.

• Shopping centre · 1979

  Enclosed retail mall

  Place d'Orléans provides an enclosed, multi-tenant retail environment of approximately 740,000 square feet. Its offer spans apparel, beauty, sporting goods, household merchandise, food service, fitness, and everyday consumer services. The centre has historically accommodated about 132 stores and services and has adapted its tenant mix through anchor replacement and redevelopment.

• Food service · 2019

  Food court

  The mall's food court is a central dining component serving quick-service and casual food customers. It was renovated and moved to the ground floor, reopening on November 1, 2019. Food-related tenants associated with the centre have included Tim Hortons, Starbucks, New York Fries, Subway, and A&W.

• Retail and transportation hub

  Transit-connected retail destination

  Place d'Orléans is connected to OC Transpo through Place d'Orléans station, which links local bus services with the Transitway and provides access to a park-and-ride facility across Highway 174. Planned O-Train improvements were expected to strengthen the site's role as a transit-oriented destination.

• 2019

  Food-court relocation and renovationOther

  Background

  The mall pursued improvements to its dining offer and internal customer circulation.

  Action taken

  The food court was renovated and moved to the ground floor, reopening on November 1, 2019.

  Aftermath

  The project added a refreshed food-service component to the mall's broader mix of retail and services.

  Source

• 2017

  Redevelopment of the northeastern wingStrategy

  Background

  Several former anchor spaces in the northeastern wing had become part of the mall's obsolete or underused retail configuration.

  Action taken

  The wing was demolished and rebuilt, creating replacement space for tenants including Mark's and Aub44.

  Aftermath

  The redevelopment shifted part of the property away from its earlier department-store-anchor structure toward newer specialized retail uses.

  Source

• 1999

  Hudson's Bay expansion and relocationStrategy

  Background

  The mall's anchor mix was changing as department stores consolidated their operations and larger-format retail became more important.

  Action taken

  Hudson's Bay expanded into a large home-store format and relocated to the former Eaton's space.

  Aftermath

  The move gave Hudson's Bay a larger presence while reducing the amount of space available for smaller retailers in part of the upper level.

  Source

• 2025

  Place d'Orléans station planned for conversion to an O-Train LRT station[1]Place d'Orléansen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The planned expansion of O-Train Line 1 was expected to convert the existing Place d'Orléans transit station into an LRT station, strengthening the mall's regional transport connection.

• 2019

  Place d'Orléans food court reopens on the ground floor after renovation[1]Place d'Orléansen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The mall completed a food-court renovation and moved the facility to the ground floor, where it opened on November 1, 2019.

• 2017

  Northeastern wing redeveloped after demolition of former anchor area[1]Place d'Orléansen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  A northeastern section associated with several former anchor tenants was demolished and rebuilt. The replacement space included Mark's and Aub44.

1. 1Place d'Orléansen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Place d'Orléans official websiteplacedorleans.com