Polo Park

Polo Park is a large shopping centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, situated near the junction of Portage Avenue and St. James Street on land formerly occupied by Polo Park Racetrack. The property is part of the Cadillac Fairview portfolio and is commonly styled corporately as CF Polo Park. It serves as one of Winnipeg's principal retail destinations and is also associated with the surrounding Polo Park neighbourhood. The centre opened on 20 August 1959 and became one of Canada's early enclosed shopping malls after a roof was added in 1963. Its development reflected the transformation of the surrounding district into a major commercial and entertainment area. For many decades the broader Polo Park district also contained important sports venues, including Winnipeg Arena, Canad Inns Stadium and Winnipeg Velodrome. Those facilities were later demolished or redeveloped, leaving the shopping centre and adjacent retail complexes as the area's primary commercial anchors. Polo Park expanded substantially over time. A major 1968 project added a three-storey Eaton's department store and made the centre one of Canada's largest shopping centres at the time. A further renovation in 1986 added a second level. Later projects included a 2007 expansion of approximately 20,000 square feet and a 2014 redevelopment of the former Zellers space, which created about 114,000 square feet of retail area and introduced 17 new stores. The centre's tenant mix has changed repeatedly in response to shifts in department-store retailing and consumer demand. Former anchors included Hudson's Bay, Sears, Zellers, Target and Safeway. The closure of Sears Canada's Polo Park store in December 2017, following the company's bankruptcy, created a substantial vacant anchor space. That area was redeveloped from 2018 through 2021, with EQ3 and Zara occupying much of the former Sears footprint by 2023. The former Zellers area is also scheduled for another redevelopment, with a London Drugs store planned for late 2025 and a Uniqlo location identified for the second floor of the former Sears space in spring 2026. Current and recent anchors identified for the centre include Forever 21, Shoppers Drug Mart, Urban Planet, Sport Chek, Zara and EQ3. The wider property also includes or is associated with Scotiabank Theatre, formerly SilverCity, Party City and Earls. Adjacent developments extend the Polo Park retail ecosystem beyond the enclosed mall. Polo North occupies the former Winnipeg Arena site and includes retailers such as Marshalls, Mark's and Skechers, while The Plaza at Polo Park occupies part of the former stadium grounds and combines retail, restaurant and office uses. Polo Park is described as Winnipeg's largest mall and as one of Canada's largest shopping centres by size. Its positioning is based on scale, accessibility, a broad fashion and everyday-retail mix, entertainment and food offerings, and integration with surrounding commercial developments. It is primarily a regional shopping destination rather than a standalone product brand, with its brand value derived from location, tenant selection, physical expansion and its long-standing role in Winnipeg's retail infrastructure.

Polo Park began as a retail development on the site of the former Polo Park Racetrack in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The shopping centre opened on Thursday, 20 August 1959. It initially operated as an open or partially open retail complex, but a roof was added in 1963, making it one of Canada's early enclosed shopping malls. The development helped establish the area around Portage Avenue and St. James Street as a major commercial district. The surrounding neighbourhood was also a prominent sports and entertainment hub. Winnipeg Arena, Canad Inns Stadium and Winnipeg Velodrome were located in the wider Polo Park area. Over time, these facilities were demolished or replaced by commercial, office and retail developments. The former arena site later became Polo North, while the stadium grounds were redeveloped into The Plaza at Polo Park. The mall's name is also used for census purposes to describe the neighbourhood containing and surrounding the shopping centre. Polo Park's first major expansion was completed in spring 1968 at a reported cost of $7.5 million. The project added a three-storey Eaton's department store and made the centre the second-largest shopping centre in Canada at that time. In 1986, a $75 million renovation added a second level to the building. The proposal had been opposed by some downtown Winnipeg merchants, who argued that the expansion could intensify competition with central-city retail, but Winnipeg City Council approved it. The enlarged centre opened in mid-August 1986. A further expansion in 2007 added approximately 20,000 square feet at a reported cost of $30 million. Another major project followed after the departure of Zellers. A $49 million redevelopment of the former Zellers space opened on 1 October 2014, creating approximately 114,000 square feet of retail space and adding 17 stores. The project represented a shift away from a single department-store anchor toward a more diversified tenant configuration. Department-store contraction continued to reshape the centre. Former anchors have included Hudson's Bay, Sears, Zellers, Target and Safeway. Sears Canada's Polo Park store closed in December 2017 as part of the retailer's bankruptcy and liquidation process. From March 2018 through October 2021, the former Sears area was redeveloped for replacement tenants. By 2023, EQ3 and Zara occupied most of the former anchor footprint. Further changes were planned for the former Zellers area in late 2024 and 2025, including a London Drugs location scheduled for late 2025. A Uniqlo store was also identified for the second floor of the former Sears space, with an anticipated spring 2026 opening. The present Polo Park complex extends beyond the main enclosed mall. The grounds include Scotiabank Theatre, formerly known as SilverCity, as well as Party City and Earls. Polo North, built on the former Winnipeg Arena site, includes Marshalls, Mark's, Skechers and the head office of Western Financial. The Plaza at Polo Park, located on the former Canad Inns Stadium grounds near Scotiabank Theatre, is a mixed-use development of roughly 600,000 square feet with retail, restaurants and offices. Its tenants have included Winners, HomeSense, Urban Behavior and P. F. Chang's, along with Winnipeg Metropolitan Region Inc. The property was originally built for Target Canada, which subsequently exited the Canadian market. Polo Park is described as Winnipeg's largest mall and as the fifteenth-largest shopping centre in Canada in the cited reference material. Its long-term development illustrates the evolution of Canadian enclosed malls from department-store-led formats toward mixed tenant ecosystems incorporating fashion chains, specialty retail, entertainment, food service, offices and nearby shopping complexes.

• 2021

  Former Sears redevelopment is completed

  [1]Polo Parken.wikipedia.org

  The redevelopment period for the former Sears anchor concludes, with space later occupied largely by EQ3 and Zara.

• 2017

  Sears location closes

  [1]Polo Parken.wikipedia.org

  The Sears Canada anchor closes in December following the retailer's bankruptcy.

• 2014

  Former Zellers space is redeveloped

  [1]Polo Parken.wikipedia.org

  A $49 million project opens on 1 October, creating approximately 114,000 square feet and 17 new stores.

• 2007

  Additional retail area is added

  [1]Polo Parken.wikipedia.org

  An expansion adds approximately 20,000 square feet of space.

• 1986

  Second-level renovation opens

  [1]Polo Parken.wikipedia.org

  A $75 million renovation adds a second level and opens in mid-August.

• 1968

  Eaton's expansion completed

  [1]Polo Parken.wikipedia.org

  A $7.5 million expansion adds a three-storey Eaton's department store and significantly increases the centre's scale.

• 1963

  Enclosure is added

  [1]Polo Parken.wikipedia.org

  A roof is added, making Polo Park one of Canada's early enclosed shopping malls.

• 1959

  Polo Park opens

  [1]Polo Parken.wikipedia.org

  The shopping centre opens on 20 August on the former Polo Park Racetrack site in Winnipeg.

A large regional shopping and entertainment destination serving Winnipeg and surrounding Manitoba communities, combining major fashion, sporting-goods, pharmacy, home, restaurant and leisure tenants with adjacent mixed-use retail developments.

• Shopping centre · 1959

  CF Polo Park shopping centre

  The main enclosed retail complex and the core Polo Park offering. It combines fashion, sporting goods, pharmacy, beauty, home furnishings, specialty retail, restaurants and entertainment. Anchors and major tenants have changed over time as department stores have been replaced by a more diversified mix.

• Adjacent retail complex

  Polo North

  A retail development on the former Winnipeg Arena site north of the main mall. The complex includes retailers such as Marshalls, Mark's and Skechers and forms part of the broader Polo Park commercial district.

• Mixed-use retail development

  The Plaza at Polo Park

  A mixed-use development on the former Canad Inns Stadium grounds near Scotiabank Theatre. It spans approximately 600,000 square feet and combines retail, restaurant and office uses, with tenants including Winners, HomeSense, Urban Behavior and P. F. Chang's.

• Cinema and entertainment

  Scotiabank Theatre

  A cinema complex on the Polo Park grounds, formerly operated under the SilverCity name. It contributes an entertainment component to the wider shopping and leisure destination.

• 2024

  Reconfigure the former Zellers area for new tenantsStrategy

  Background

  The former Zellers redevelopment area required another tenant transition more than a decade after its 2014 opening.

  Action taken

  The space was scheduled for redevelopment in late 2024 and most of 2025, including accommodation for a London Drugs store.

  Aftermath

  The planned London Drugs opening was identified for late 2025, subject to completion of the redevelopment.

  Source

• 2018

  Redevelop the former Sears anchorStrategy

  Background

  Sears Canada's Polo Park store closed in December 2017 following the retailer's bankruptcy.

  Action taken

  The former anchor area was redeveloped between March 2018 and October 2021 for replacement tenants.

  Aftermath

  EQ3 and Zara later occupied most of the former Sears footprint, replacing the department-store format with specialty retail.

  Source

• 2014

  Redevelop the former Zellers spaceStrategy

  Background

  The departure of Zellers created a large vacant department-store area within the mall.

  Action taken

  The space was redeveloped into approximately 114,000 square feet of retail area and 17 new stores.

  Aftermath

  The project opened on 1 October 2014 and broadened the tenant mix beyond a single department-store anchor.

  Project cost. $49 million (2014)

  Source

• 1963

  Convert the centre into an enclosed mallStrategy

  Background

  Polo Park had opened in 1959 during the early development of Canadian suburban shopping centres.

  Action taken

  A roof was added to create an enclosed shopping environment.

  Aftermath

  The project helped establish Polo Park as one of Canada's early enclosed shopping malls.

  Source

• 2021-10-29

  EQ3 opens flagship store at CF Polo Park[3]EQ3在CF Polo Park开设旗舰店winnipegfreepress.com

  Reported: 2021-10-30

  EQ3 opened its largest retail space, a flagship store in the former Sears space at CF Polo Park in Winnipeg. The 43,000-square-foot store was designed as an experience centre.

1. 1Polo Parken.wikipedia.org
2. 2Polo Park official websitepolopark.ca
3. 3EQ3在CF Polo Park开设旗舰店winnipegfreepress.com