Deerfoot City

Deerfoot City is a large retail and entertainment centre in northeast Calgary, Alberta. The property is located east of Deerfoot Trail, also known as Highway 2, near 64th Avenue NE. It began operating in 1981 under the name Deerfoot Outlet Mall and was developed as an enclosed shopping centre with a mixture of national chains and independent retailers. At opening, its principal anchor tenants were Woolco, Canada Safeway, and The Bay. The original centre contained approximately 80 retailers, along with a bowling alley and food court. The property’s commercial identity changed as its initial anchors disappeared or were replaced. Woolco’s Canadian business was converted to Walmart, while the Safeway store eventually closed and was divided into smaller retail spaces, including a Winners location. The former The Bay space later became a Sears Canada store. During the 1990s, the centre promoted itself as an outlet-oriented destination and described itself as Western Canada’s only enclosed outlet mall. This positioning distinguished it from conventional suburban malls by emphasizing discount and outlet shopping. The 2000s brought further anchor changes. Walmart left the mall building and opened a freestanding store immediately southeast of the property, while Sears closed its location as part of the broader contraction of Sears Canada’s Canadian retail presence. With those departures, Winners and the bowling alley became the most prominent remaining anchors within the older enclosed complex. Former anchor spaces were progressively redeveloped or subdivided for new retail and leisure uses. A major transformation was announced in September 2013. The redevelopment plan proposed converting the enclosed mall into an open-air regional centre and adding more than 500,000 square feet of retail space. The project also involved a new identity, Destination: Deerfoot City, reflecting a strategy broader than traditional enclosed-mall shopping. On January 31, 2016, most of the existing 623,000-square-foot enclosed mall closed so that the next redevelopment phase could proceed. The resulting property is an approximately 1.1-million-square-foot shopping and entertainment centre on an 80-acre site. Rather than operating as one continuous enclosed building, the redeveloped centre is organized into multiple sections separated by internal roads, with larger-format retailers positioned around the perimeter. By 2019, prominent tenants and attractions included LensCrafters, Walmart, GoodLife Fitness, Dollarama, Winners, The Rec Room, Canadian Tire, and Cabela’s. These uses give Deerfoot City a mixed retail, recreation, fitness, dining, and family-entertainment profile. Deerfoot City is owned by Shape Properties. Its development history illustrates the transition of a traditional enclosed outlet mall into an open-air regional retail destination. The centre’s present identity depends on a combination of large-format stores, specialty retail, services, entertainment, and accessible site planning rather than on a single department-store anchor. It primarily serves Calgary and the surrounding metropolitan area, with its location near a major highway supporting regional access.

Deerfoot City opened in 1981 in northeast Calgary as Deerfoot Outlet Mall. The enclosed centre was built east of Deerfoot Trail on 64th Avenue NE and initially offered roughly 80 stores, a food court, and a bowling alley. Its principal anchors were Woolco, Canada Safeway, and The Bay, giving the property a conventional department-store and grocery-led suburban mall structure while its name and later marketing emphasized outlet shopping. The original anchor lineup changed substantially over time. Woolco was converted to Walmart after Walmart’s Canadian expansion, Safeway eventually departed, and The Bay space was later occupied by Sears Canada. The former Safeway premises were divided into smaller units, one of which became associated with Winners. In the 1990s, the centre promoted itself as an outlet destination and claimed a distinctive position as Western Canada’s only enclosed outlet mall. During the 2000s, Walmart left the enclosed building and established a standalone store immediately southeast of the mall. Sears also closed its location. These departures removed two of the property’s most prominent traditional anchors. Winners and the bowling alley remained important tenants, while the former Walmart and Sears areas were adapted for other retail and entertainment uses. In September 2013, a comprehensive redevelopment plan was announced. The proposal called for transforming the enclosed mall into an open-air regional centre and adding more than 500,000 square feet of retail space. The project was accompanied by the Destination: Deerfoot City identity, signaling a move away from the older enclosed outlet-mall format. On January 31, 2016, most of the existing 623,000-square-foot enclosed mall closed to permit the next phase of construction and reconfiguration. The redeveloped property became an approximately 1.1-million-square-foot centre spread across an 80-acre site. Its buildings are arranged in separate sections divided by roads, with larger retailers located around the perimeter. By 2019, the tenant mix included LensCrafters, Walmart, GoodLife Fitness, Dollarama, Winners, The Rec Room, Canadian Tire, and Cabela’s. The resulting format combines retail, services, fitness, dining, bowling or recreation-related uses, and entertainment attractions. Shape Properties is identified as the owner. Deerfoot City’s history therefore reflects the redevelopment of a traditional enclosed mall into a more dispersed, open-air regional destination designed around multiple retail and leisure anchors.

• 2019

  Redeveloped centre features mixed retail and entertainment tenants

  [1]Deerfoot Cityen.wikipedia.org

  Major reported tenants and attractions include LensCrafters, Walmart, GoodLife Fitness, Dollarama, Winners, The Rec Room, Canadian Tire, and Cabela’s.

• 2016

  Enclosed mall closes for redevelopment

  [1]Deerfoot Cityen.wikipedia.org

  Most of the 623,000-square-foot enclosed mall closes on January 31 as work proceeds on the next stage of redevelopment.

• 2013

  Open-air redevelopment plan announced

  [1]Deerfoot Cityen.wikipedia.org

  A plan is announced to convert the enclosed mall into an open-air regional centre, expand retail space by more than 500,000 square feet, and adopt the Destination: Deerfoot City identity.

• 2000

  Traditional anchor changes accelerate

  [1]Deerfoot Cityen.wikipedia.org

  Walmart and Sears eventually leave their locations in the enclosed centre; Walmart moves to a nearby standalone store, while Sears closes its store and former anchor spaces are redeveloped.

• 1990

  Outlet-mall positioning becomes prominent

  [1]Deerfoot Cityen.wikipedia.org

  During the 1990s, the property markets itself as an outlet destination and describes itself as Western Canada’s only enclosed outlet mall.

• 1981

  Deerfoot Outlet Mall opens

  [1]Deerfoot Cityen.wikipedia.org

  The shopping centre opens in northeast Calgary with approximately 80 retailers, a bowling alley, a food court, and Woolco, Canada Safeway, and The Bay as principal anchors.

An open-air regional retail and entertainment destination serving Calgary and the surrounding area, combining large-format stores, specialty retailers, services, dining, and leisure attractions.

• Shopping centre · 2016

  Open-air regional retail centre

  The core offering is a large open-air shopping centre in northeast Calgary. Following redevelopment, the property is divided into multiple sections separated by internal roads rather than operating as one continuous enclosed mall. The format accommodates both conventional storefronts and larger perimeter retail buildings.

• Retail

  Large-format retail

  Deerfoot City includes large-format retail uses positioned around the property’s perimeter. Reported tenants include Walmart, Canadian Tire, Cabela’s, Dollarama, and Winners, giving the centre a mix of general merchandise, sporting and outdoor goods, discount retail, and apparel.

• Retail and services

  Specialty retail and services

  The centre also provides specialty stores and consumer services, including LensCrafters and other smaller retailers occupying units created through the subdivision and redevelopment of former anchor spaces.

• Entertainment and leisure

  Entertainment, recreation, and fitness

  Entertainment and leisure are important parts of the post-redevelopment tenant mix. Reported offerings include The Rec Room, GoodLife Fitness, and the property’s longstanding bowling-related leisure presence. These uses broaden the centre beyond shopping and support destination-oriented visits.

• Food service · 1981

  Dining and food services

  Food service was part of the original enclosed mall through its food court and remains part of the broader shopping-centre proposition. Specific current restaurant brands are not identified in the supplied reference material.

• 2016

  Close most of the enclosed mall for redevelopmentStrategy

  Background

  The next phase of the open-air redevelopment required substantial changes to the existing 623,000-square-foot enclosed structure.

  Action taken

  Most of the enclosed mall closed on January 31, 2016, allowing the redevelopment plan to proceed.

  Aftermath

  The property was reorganized into multiple open-air sections with larger retailers around the perimeter and a broader retail, recreation, and entertainment mix.

  Source

• 2013

  Convert the enclosed mall into an open-air regional centreStrategy

  Background

  The property had experienced the departure or relocation of major traditional anchors, including Walmart and Sears, and its original enclosed outlet-mall format required repositioning.

  Action taken

  A redevelopment plan proposed an open-air regional centre, more than 500,000 square feet of additional retail space, and a new Destination: Deerfoot City identity.

  Aftermath

  The project led to the closure of most of the existing enclosed mall in 2016 and the creation of a more dispersed retail and entertainment complex.

  Source

1. 1Deerfoot Cityen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Deerfoot City official websitedeerfootmall.com