Eglinton Square Shopping Centre

Eglinton Square Shopping Centre is an enclosed shopping centre at the intersection of Eglinton Avenue East and Victoria Park Avenue in Toronto, Ontario. It serves the Golden Mile area of Scarborough and is surrounded by established residential neighbourhoods as well as former and current employment lands. The centre is a local retail destination rather than a nationally branded chain, offering a mix of everyday shopping, food, services, and convenience-oriented businesses. The property first opened to the public in 1953 as a strip plaza. It was developed in an area that had previously been associated with farmland and was later reshaped by industrial activity during the Second World War. The original development reportedly cost approximately $1.6 million and was expanded two years after opening. Its location on a major east-west arterial road, together with nearby housing, helped establish it as a durable community shopping destination. During its early decades, the centre included two Dominion supermarkets, positioned at opposite ends of the plaza. In 1963, the western Dominion location was demolished to make way for a substantial Morgan's department store. The two-storey, approximately 120,000-square-foot store opened on August 22, 1963, and was the first Morgan's location opened by Hudson's Bay Company after that company acquired the Morgan's chain. The store was distinctive because it was wholly owned by Hudson's Bay Company and incorporated a parking structure with capacity for approximately 573 vehicles, including rooftop parking. It later operated under The Bay name. A major expansion in 1964 added 25 stores to the existing 31 and converted the property into an enclosed shopping mall. The project also introduced multi-level parking above portions of the retail space. The centre retains two ramps associated with these elevated parking levels, reflecting its mid-century design and the automobile-oriented planning common to suburban Canadian shopping centres of the period. The centre has approximately 279,000 square feet of retail space and more than 80 outlets. Kingsett Capital is identified as the owner, while Bentall Kennedy (Canada) LP manages the property. Its current role is primarily that of a community-serving retail centre, with tenants and services aimed at routine local needs rather than luxury or destination shopping. Eglinton Square is also associated with a proposed large-scale redevelopment. Plans described for the property include high-density condominium buildings, townhouses, and other mixed-use or residential elements around the existing retail centre. The redevelopment concept includes changes to portions of the site's perimeter and the removal of existing low-rise apartment buildings along Engelhart Crescent. The timing, final scope, and implementation status of those plans are not established by the supplied reference material.

Eglinton Square was established in 1953 on the site of land whose earlier history included farming in the nineteenth century and industrial redevelopment during the Second World War. The original property opened as a strip plaza along Eglinton Avenue East, an important road corridor bordered by residential communities. Construction was reported to have cost approximately $1.6 million. The plaza expanded in 1955, reflecting the growth of suburban retail demand in postwar Toronto. By the early 1960s, the centre had two Dominion supermarkets, one at each end of the plaza. A significant transformation began in spring 1963, when the western Dominion building was demolished to create space for a two-storey Morgan's department store. The new store opened on August 22, 1963. It occupied approximately 120,000 square feet and included an attached parking facility with room for about 573 cars, including vehicles accommodated on the store roof. The location was historically notable as the first Morgan's store opened by Hudson's Bay Company after its 1960 acquisition of the chain. Unlike some other Morgan's locations, the Eglinton Square store was wholly owned by Hudson's Bay Company. It later became a The Bay store. In 1964, Eglinton Square underwent a further enlargement that added 25 stores to the 31 already operating at the property. This project effectively converted the open plaza into an enclosed shopping mall. Multi-level parking for approximately 500 cars was installed above the new extension, creating the elevated parking ramps that remain characteristic of the centre's physical layout. The redevelopment reflected the period's increasing preference for climate-controlled malls and large-format suburban department-store anchors. The centre also gained broader public visibility during its early history. Queen Elizabeth II visited Eglinton Square in 1957. Over subsequent decades, the property continued operating as a local retail centre serving nearby households and commuters. Its scale and tenant mix have supported a neighbourhood-oriented role rather than the regional destination profile of Toronto's largest enclosed malls. In the contemporary period, the property is identified as being owned by Kingsett Capital and managed by Bentall Kennedy (Canada) LP. It contains approximately 279,000 square feet of retail space and more than 80 outlets. The site is also associated with a proposed redevelopment involving high-density condominium buildings, townhouses, and other residential or mixed-use components. The concept includes redevelopment around the mall perimeter and demolition of existing low-rise apartments along Engelhart Crescent. The supplied reference material does not establish a final construction schedule or confirm that the entire proposal has been completed.

• 1964

  Conversion into an enclosed mall

  [1]Eglinton Squareen.wikipedia.org

  An expansion added 25 stores to the existing 31 and effectively transformed Eglinton Square into an enclosed shopping mall with elevated multi-level parking.

• 1963

  Morgan's department store opens

  [1]Eglinton Squareen.wikipedia.org

  A two-storey Morgan's department store opened on August 22 after the western Dominion supermarket was demolished to make room for the new anchor.

• 1957

  Royal visit

  [1]Eglinton Squareen.wikipedia.org

  Queen Elizabeth II visited Eglinton Square.

• 1955

  Early expansion

  [1]Eglinton Squareen.wikipedia.org

  The original shopping plaza was expanded two years after its opening.

• 1953

  Opening as a strip plaza

  [1]Eglinton Squareen.wikipedia.org

  Eglinton Square opened to the public as a strip-plaza retail development at Eglinton Avenue East and Victoria Park Avenue in Toronto.

• Proposed mixed-use redevelopment

  [1]Eglinton Squareen.wikipedia.org

  The property has been identified for major redevelopment involving high-density condominium buildings, townhouses, and other residential or mixed-use elements.

A convenient, community-oriented shopping centre serving residents of Scarborough and Toronto's Golden Mile, with a legacy as a mid-century suburban retail development and a prospective future as part of a denser mixed-use district.

• Retail services · 1953

  Neighbourhood retail stores

  The centre's principal offering is a collection of local retail outlets serving routine household and personal needs. The available reference describes more than 80 outlets within approximately 279,000 square feet of retail space, but does not provide a complete tenant directory or identify every current category.

• Grocery retail

  Dominion supermarkets

  Dominion operated two supermarkets at Eglinton Square during the centre's early period, one at each end of the original plaza. The western location was demolished in 1963 to accommodate the Morgan's department store.

• Department store · 1963

  Morgan's department store

  The Eglinton Square Morgan's was a two-storey, approximately 120,000-square-foot department store that opened in 1963. It was Hudson's Bay Company's first Morgan's store following the acquisition of the chain and later became a The Bay location.

• Commercial real estate · 1964

  Enclosed shopping-centre space

  The 1964 expansion created the enclosed mall format that defines the property. Its design incorporated elevated parking above portions of the retail extension, supporting automobile access while adding climate-controlled internal shopping space.

• 1964

  Conversion from strip plaza to enclosed mallGeneration change

  Background

  Changing suburban shopping patterns and the growth of department-store-led retail encouraged a substantial physical expansion.

  Action taken

  The centre added 25 stores and enclosed the retail environment, while installing multi-level parking above the extension.

  Aftermath

  Eglinton Square became an enclosed shopping mall and retained a mid-century layout with two elevated parking ramps.

  Source

• 1963

  Replace a supermarket site with a department-store anchorStrategy

  Background

  The western Dominion supermarket was removed as the centre pursued a larger department-store anchor and expanded its commercial role.

  Action taken

  The site was redeveloped for a two-storey Morgan's store with attached and rooftop parking.

  Aftermath

  The Morgan's opening added a major department-store presence and helped position Eglinton Square for its subsequent enclosed-mall conversion.

  Source

• Plan for mixed-use and residential redevelopmentStrategy

  Background

  The property has been identified as suitable for intensification within a built-up Toronto neighbourhood.

  Action taken

  A redevelopment concept proposes high-density condominium buildings, townhouses, and related residential or mixed-use construction around the existing shopping centre.

  Aftermath

  The supplied material does not confirm the proposal's final approval, construction timetable, or completed scope.

  Source

1. 1Eglinton Squareen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Eglinton Square Shopping Centre official websiteeglintonsquare.ca