First Markham Place

First Markham Place is an Asian-oriented shopping centre in Markham, Ontario, Canada. It occupies a prominent position on the south side of Highway 7, between Woodbine Avenue and Warden Avenue, in one of the Greater Toronto Area's most important commercial corridors. The centre opened in 1998, shortly after Pacific Mall opened elsewhere in Markham. Its launch coincided with a substantial wave of Chinese immigration to Canada and the resulting growth of Asian-oriented retail, dining, food, and service businesses in the region. The property is built around a broad multicultural shopping and dining offer rather than a single department-store anchor. It has more than 170 stores and services, with tenants spanning specialty retail, personal services, restaurants, entertainment, groceries, and household goods. Its food offering includes a central food court with 24 vendors and a further group of 23 sit-down restaurants attached to or located immediately outside the main mall structure. This combination gives the centre a role as both a retail destination and a food-and-leisure gathering place for Markham's diverse population. Current or recent anchor-style occupants include Oomomo, a Japanese home-goods retailer, and FreshWay Foodmart, an Asian supermarket. These tenants broaden the centre's appeal beyond Chinese-focused commerce and reinforce its position as a destination for imported, Asian, and internationally oriented consumer goods. The mall's tenant mix also reflects changing consumer patterns: large-format spaces formerly used by entertainment and home-furnishing businesses have been adapted for newer food, wellness, and lifestyle concepts. A significant transition occurred in 2015 when the Cineplex Odeon theatre at First Markham Place moved to the new Cineplex Cinemas and VIP complex in Downtown Markham. The former cinema occupied approximately 68,000 square feet and remained vacant for nearly four years. Its conversion was complicated by an approximately nine-foot difference in floor level between the front and rear portions of the former theatre space. The area was eventually redeveloped as Go Place, an Asian-oriented pool and spa complex featuring seven pools and an emphasis on water-based therapy. Another major change involved Home Outfitters, a Canadian home-decor chain that had occupied approximately 52,300 square feet. That store closed in autumn 2018 after the chain ceased operations. FreshWay Supermarket subsequently took over the space, beginning operations in autumn 2020 and strengthening the mall's grocery and everyday-needs offer. The COVID-19 pandemic created an unusually disruptive period for the centre. In 2020, Ontario's emergency measures required the mall to close. During an initial phase, customers could enter to collect food from food-court vendors, but seating was prohibited and meals had to be consumed elsewhere. Management later prevented customers from entering the mall for food-court access, while vendors continued preparing food indoors and moved collection points outside near the entrances. The arrangement made trading more difficult because merchants faced reduced customer traffic, exposure to poor weather, and limited opportunities to display signage and advertise their businesses. First Markham Place remains closely connected to the Highway 7 transportation corridor. It is served by York Region Transit's Viva Purple service at Montgomery station on the Highway 7 Rapidway, as well as Route 1 Highway 7. Vehicle access is available from Highway 7 for eastbound traffic, Fairburn Drive, and Rodick Road. Its location, Asian-oriented tenant mix, large food offer, and proximity to other major Markham destinations have allowed it to remain an established commercial centre despite changes in individual tenants and operating conditions.

First Markham Place opened in 1998 in Markham, Ontario, on the south side of Highway 7 between Woodbine Avenue and Warden Avenue. Its development occurred during a period of major demographic and commercial change in the Greater Toronto Area. A large influx of Chinese immigrants had expanded demand for Asian groceries, restaurants, specialty merchandise, and community-oriented services. The centre entered this market shortly after Pacific Mall, another major Asian shopping destination in Markham, and became part of the region's growing network of culturally specific and multicultural retail properties. Over time, First Markham Place developed a tenant mix of more than 170 stores and services. Rather than depending exclusively on a conventional department-store anchor, the centre combined specialty retail, food, groceries, personal services, restaurants, and entertainment. Its central food court includes 24 vendors, while approximately 23 sit-down restaurants are attached to or positioned outside the main mall. This food concentration has been an important part of the centre's identity and has helped it function as a social and dining destination as well as a conventional shopping centre. The property has experienced several significant tenant changes. For many years it included a Cineplex Odeon theatre measuring about 68,000 square feet. In 2015, the cinema moved to the new Cineplex Cinemas and VIP facility in Downtown Markham. The former theatre area was difficult to reuse because the front and rear sections differed in elevation by roughly nine feet. The space remained empty for nearly four years while redevelopment challenges were addressed. It was ultimately converted into Go Place, an Asian-oriented pool and spa complex with seven pools and a water-therapy focus, giving the mall a new leisure and wellness use. Home Outfitters was another substantial occupant. The Canadian home-decor chain operated a store of approximately 52,300 square feet at the centre, but the location closed in autumn 2018 as the chain ceased operations. FreshWay Foodmart later occupied the premises, beginning operations in autumn 2020. The replacement shifted the large-format space from home furnishings toward groceries and everyday food shopping, while also reinforcing the mall's Asian-oriented positioning. The COVID-19 pandemic produced a further operational disruption in 2020. Ontario's state-of-emergency measures required the mall to close. During an early stage of the restrictions, customers were permitted to enter to obtain food from food-court vendors, although seating was unavailable and food could not be consumed inside. Management later stopped customers from entering the mall for this purpose. Food vendors continued to prepare orders indoors but moved service points outdoors near the entrances. The restrictions reduced foot traffic and created practical difficulties for merchants, including exposure to adverse weather and fewer opportunities to use indoor signage and customer-facing promotion. First Markham Place is integrated into the Highway 7 corridor and can be reached by car from Highway 7, Fairburn Drive, and Rodick Road. Highway 7 access is limited to eastbound traffic at the relevant mall entrance. Public-transit service includes York Region Transit's Viva Purple at Montgomery station on the Highway 7 Rapidway and Route 1 Highway 7. The centre continues to serve as an established Asian-oriented retail, dining, grocery, service, and leisure destination in Markham.

• 2020

  FreshWay Foodmart opens in former Home Outfitters premises

  [1]First Markham Placeen.wikipedia.org

  FreshWay Foodmart begins operating in the former large-format Home Outfitters space in autumn.

• 2020

  Pandemic restrictions alter operations

  [1]First Markham Placeen.wikipedia.org

  Ontario emergency measures close the mall and require food-court vendors to adopt restricted and eventually outdoor customer-service arrangements.

• 2018

  Home Outfitters closes

  [1]First Markham Placeen.wikipedia.org

  The Home Outfitters home-decor store closes in autumn after the Canadian chain ends operations.

• 2015

  Cineplex Odeon relocates

  [1]First Markham Placeen.wikipedia.org

  The mall's former Cineplex Odeon theatre moves to Cineplex Cinemas and VIP in Downtown Markham.

• 1998

  Shopping centre opens

  [1]First Markham Placeen.wikipedia.org

  First Markham Place opens on Highway 7 in Markham during a period of rapid growth in the region's Chinese Canadian population and Asian-oriented commerce.

A multicultural, Asian-oriented shopping and dining destination serving Markham and the wider Greater Toronto Area, combining specialty retail, groceries, restaurants, services, and leisure uses.

• Shopping centre tenant mix · 1998

  Retail stores and services

  First Markham Place houses more than 170 stores and services. The mix is oriented toward Asian and multicultural consumers and includes specialty retail, household merchandise, personal services, and other everyday shopping needs. The centre's tenant-based model means its offer changes over time as individual businesses open, close, or are replaced.

• Japanese home goods

  Oomomo

  Oomomo is a Japanese-oriented home-goods anchor offering household, lifestyle, and everyday-use merchandise. Its presence adds a Japanese retail dimension to First Markham Place's broader Asian shopping profile and helps attract customers seeking practical imported and Asian-designed goods.

• Asian supermarket · 2020

  FreshWay Foodmart

  FreshWay Foodmart occupies the former Home Outfitters space and provides a large-format grocery offer focused on Asian and international food shopping. The store expanded the centre's everyday-needs function and replaced a former home-decor anchor after beginning operations in autumn 2020.

• Prepared food and dining · 1998

  Food court

  The central food court contains 24 vendors, making prepared food a major component of the centre's identity. Its range supports quick meals, takeaway, and casual dining and complements the approximately 23 sit-down restaurants attached to or located outside the mall.

• Pool and spa leisure complex

  Go Place

  Go Place occupies the former cinema area and is an Asian-oriented pool and spa complex. It contains seven pools and emphasizes water therapy, providing a leisure and wellness use in a space that was previously dedicated to movie exhibition.

• 2020

  Adapt food-court operations during COVID-19 restrictionsOther

  Background

  Ontario emergency measures required the mall to close and restricted indoor dining and customer access.

  Action taken

  Food vendors continued preparing orders inside but moved customer service outside near mall entrances after customers were no longer permitted to enter for food-court access.

  Aftermath

  Reduced foot traffic, weather exposure, and limited signage made trading more difficult for food-court businesses.

  Source

• 2018

  Replace former Home Outfitters space with grocery retailStrategy

  Background

  Home Outfitters closed its approximately 52,300-square-foot store in autumn 2018 after the Canadian chain ceased operations.

  Action taken

  The large-format premises were subsequently occupied by FreshWay Foodmart, which began operating in autumn 2020.

  Aftermath

  The change shifted the space from home furnishings to Asian grocery retail and strengthened the centre's everyday shopping offer.

  Source

• 2015

  Reuse the former cinema space after Cineplex relocationStrategy

  Background

  Cineplex Odeon moved from the mall to a new Downtown Markham location, leaving a roughly 68,000-square-foot theatre space with a substantial floor-level difference.

  Action taken

  The difficult-to-level former cinema area was eventually converted into Go Place, a seven-pool Asian-oriented pool and spa complex.

  Aftermath

  The conversion replaced a traditional entertainment anchor with a wellness and leisure destination.

  Source

1. 1First Markham Placeen.wikipedia.org