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Champlain Place Dieppe The Evolvement of a Retail Phenomenonby Heather Ferguson When Champlain Place Shopping Centre was built 34 years ago, it was hailed as an extraordinary engineering accomplishment. Erected on a barren, windswept marsh at the juncture of Moncton and Dieppe in an area once a part of the region’s shipbuilding past, this then new innovative concept in the retail industry has stood the test of time in its ability to keep abreast of changes in a mobile society. Today, Champlain Place is the hub of a powerful retail sector that lies at the heart of sophisticated roadway systems non-existent at its inception. A shopping mecca for patrons throughout the tri-community area, it is the destination of choice for shoppers throughout Atlantic Canada. Champlain Place was conceived and developed by Tritor Development of Willowdale, Ontario. With many similar shopping centre development projects throughout Ontario to its credit, this company’s first foray into Atlantic Canada also included the assistance of upwards of 20 other construction companies in the development of Champlain Place. Opened for business in 1974 as a 500,000 sq. ft. retail complex with approximately forty tenants, Champlain Place was considered “the largest shopping centre in Atlantic Canada.” An ambitious project for its time, Champlain Place was built to the tune of $15 million, and with room to grow, the facility has enjoyed several expansions over the last third of a century. In 1986, Champlain Place increased in size by 300,000 sq. ft., adding 54 new tenants, and in 1994 and 1996, additional retail giants such as Toys “R” Us and Eddie Bauer contributed to the changing face of retail in the region. Champlain Place is as dynamic as ever in the powerful retail profile of the Greater Moncton Area. Purchased by Cadillac Fairview in 1998 from Tritor, Champlain Place has reflected the needs and desires of shifting demographics in the Greater Moncton Area, its own prosperity a mirror image of the region’s growth and expansion in the last few decades. Last year saw the completion of a $14 million renovation project certain to secure Champlain Place’s niche as a major player in the region’s retail environment. “Champlain Place is responding to the incredible growth that has occurred in our primary and secondary trade areas,” says Neil Mattson, General Manager of Champlain Place. “The newly renovated shopping centre offers our growing customer base exceptional shopping choices via many first-to-market retailers, a premier service commitment and an enhanced level of comfort for the entire family.” In a bid to create greater uniformity throughout the complex and a seamless profile to Champlain Place’s many expansions over the years, new physical upgrades in flooring and ceiling treatments, a new exterior facade, renovated entrances, luxuriously renovated washroom facilities, and a new washroom addition off the food court with a family washroom, Parent + Me room with resting and change areas, warmly lit soft-seating areas, and a fully renovated food court with new seating areas including three 12ft-long Harvest Tables to accommodate larger groups, are all special features of the new Champlain Place. “The primary objective for the renovation was bring a common and consistent best in class presentation to the shopping centre. It was a challenge to unify various vintages of building renovation and expansion a common design theme. This process involved adding ceilings, skylights, and refinishing all surfaces inside and out. Customer amenities were upgrading with a state of the art Food Court, washroom renovations, and modernized mall furnishings and signage. The transformation of Champlain Place positions the centre and it's retailers for continued success for the next few decades,” says Ian Murray Ross, Director, Architecture and Design of Cadillac Fairview. “The New Champlain Place is a stunning complement to the retail sector in Greater Moncton and with a heightened shopper experience and addition of first-to-market retailers, it will continue to attract shoppers not only from this area but from the other Maritime provinces,” adds the management of Champlain Place. A brand new logo created by the Extreme Group of Halifax, NS, speaks to the identity of this retail establishment as a driving force in the region’s retail environment. “The new identity was created to help reinforce Champlain’s position as ‘the’ shopping destination. The logo was developed using a simple, yet elegant, typeface that creates a sense of sophistication, tempered with the flourishes on either side to communicate a contemporary feel in a light-hearted, whimsical way. Overall, the identity creates an updated signature for property that is fresh, fashionable, and fun,” says Geoff Wills, Account Director of the Extreme Group. The new Champlain Place has over 160 tenants, including many of the original stores such as its first anchor, Sears. Canadian retail giants such as Sobeys, Peoples Jewellers, Reitmans, Indigo Books, and Roots are joined by many companies from beyond our borders such as Wal-Mart, Shoppers Drug Mart, The Gap/Gap Kids, American Eagle, and The Body Shop. Encompassing 670,000 sq. ft. of retail space, Champlain Place can still lay claim to its title as “the largest shopping centre in Atlantic Canada!” Room to Move AroundIn keeping with a new streamlined profile to the look and feel of Champlain Place, the recent renovation project has provided a perfect opportunity to de-clutter the mall in an attempt to better facilitate the movement of people throughout the shopping centre. With almost 10 million patrons frequenting the mall throughout the year, a number of changes have added to an atmosphere more conducive to a comfortable and enjoyable shopping environment. As Stephanie Hansen, Marketing Director of Champlain Place Shopping Centre, explains, “The look and feel of our shopping mall is one of the most important reasons customers will choose us over the competition. A mall ambiance tells customers everything about the property and what it stands for. It is our signature; it is the image we want to project.” A reduction in the number of RMU’s, or small retail carts, in the common areas, the relocation of vending to non-public areas, and a reduction of Christmas kiosks all contribute to a spacious ambience. Installation of new signage at all major intersections within the mall and at various service providers help customers orient themselves with greater clarity and with the ability to move around more easily. In addition, care has been taken in the choice of new mall furniture that is sleek and low to create an orderly look to the mall and not impede lines of vision. With today’s customers busier than ever in their daily lifestyles, it is Cadillac Fairview’s aim to provide a stress-free and orderly environment in which to shop. “With the beautiful new treatments in all the corridors and the additional soft seating areas, we felt it was important to maintain the clean and uncluttered look to the shopping centre,” says Neil Mattson, General Manager of Champlain Place and Crystal Palace. “Not only does this beautiful aesthetic improve the shopper experience, but it makes it easier for our visitors to do what they came to do... shop.” Champlain Place Belives in Commitment to CommunityCadillac Fairview has always displayed a r eal involvement with the community in their support of many charitable organizations throughout the Greater Moncton Area. With a commitment to civic responsibility, Champlain Place believes in working with the community to assist in fundraising in several arenas, increasing public awareness to the various programs and services offered. “Cadillac Fairview believes in building community relationships by contributing to the health and wellness of the areas served by our company, either by our corporate involvement or through the services we provide in our shopping centres,” says the management of Champlain Place. Over the years, millions of dollars have been raised by charitable organizations at Champlain Place. A proud supporter of the Salvation Army Kettle Foundation and of the NB Veterans Organizations, Champlain Place also supports the Annual Toy Box Campaign in tandem with Radio Moncton. This year will mark the 8th annual initiative to collect toys for needy children at Christmas. The SPCA has traditionally been operating in the mall during the lead-up to the Festive Season with their gift wrapping kiosk. This year, they will expand their services to include a coat check service in response to customer feedback. Champlain Place has also formed a valuable alliance with Aliant and C103/XL96 in the IWK Radiothon which has raised over $130,000 in the past two years in aid of Maritime children, and in keeping with their charitable vision, Champlain Place recently donated all the old mall furniture to the Habitat For Humanity Store. A valuable supporter of the Greater Moncton Excellence Awards for Emerging Businesses as well as a donor to the University of Moncton “Excellence Campaign,” Champlain Place applauds achievement in the fields of both business and education in the Greater Moncton Area. The year 2008 introduced exciting new changes to the program for fundraising by charities in the mall. According to the Champlain Place administration, “We discovered that 12 charities were occupying about 80% of the time and space available in our mall. The current proposal will allow more charities to have an opportunity to fundraise in Champlain Place. As a result the amount raised in the shopping centre will not necessarily be reduced but rather redistributed through a greater number of well-deserving charities and/or service groups. The norm for most shopping centres is 1 to 2 locations for community booths. There are 4 new locations where charities can conduct their initiatives within the shopping centre. These locations will have quality, custom-built kiosks that will be both professional and functional for the charities.” In a bid to give back to the community in which we all live and work, Champlain Place is truly a leader in philanthropic vision for our region. Champlain Place Is Going GreenIn today’s climate of environmental responsibility, Champlain Place has made a commitment to its customers and to its surroundings in adopting progressive standards and practices in a bid to reduce its carbon footprint and to reduce any negative impact on the environment. Not surprisingly, the sheer volume of waste material a shopping centre of its size produces on a monthly basis is staggering, and while Champlain Place has been recycling paper, cardboard, beverage containers, plastic wrap, frying oil, pallets, crates, etc., for many years, new initiatives in recycling and waste management have been put into place this past year. In May, 2008, a selected group of mall tenants participated in a blue bag/green bag, wet/dry separation program with impressive results. July 14, 2008, then marked the start of this process as a permanent program. Since August, 2008, Champlain Place has diverted approximately 10 tonnes per month of dry/blue bag waste to be recycled and 7 tonnes of wet/green bag waste to be composted. Almost 20 tonnes per month of cardboard is recycled as well as 3 tonnes of frying oil annually. Approximately 1,000 bottles, cans, and assorted beverage containers are recycled each week, and in the last two years, 400 tonnes per year of construction waste, such as wood, metal, masonry, insulation, glass, and electrical components as well as household hazardous waste, paints, batteries, etc., have been diverted away from landfill areas. This specialized approach to waste management by the Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited and the concentrated effort on behalf of the tenants of Champlain Place have resulted in a positive outcome to ‘going green.’ “Hats off to the tenants of Champlain Place,” says the management of Champlain Place who also acknowledge the invaluable contribution of D. R. Recycling Ltd., The Westmorland Albert Solid Waste Corporation, and Atlantic Building Cleaning Ltd. for their dedication and assistance to the mall’s green initiative which continues to be a work in progress! This Listing Proudly Sponored By:Have something to say about this business? Leave a Comment or Review about this BusinessWe ask that you:
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477 Paul Street
