Cityplace emphasizes local

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This article was published 12/06/2017 (3269 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The downtown Cityplace mall has four additions to its growing line up of locally owned retail tenants.

The additions — two of which won’t be opening until later this year — include a fitness centre (Morfit Training Centre); a gourmet coffee shop (Human Bean Coffee & Tea); and two food court tenants (Peg City Poutinerie and Shawarma Fusion).

Peg City Poutinerie, owned by Blair McKibbon, opened in April, while Morfit Training Centre, owned by Stuart Klassen, is scheduled to open June 25 or 26.

Human Bean Coffee & Tea, which is owned by Romalda Wildeman, and Shawarma Fusion are scheduled to open this fall or winter, said Cheryl Roney, director of leasing & marketing for Triovest Realty Advisors Inc., which manages the Cityplace office/retail/parkade complex at 333 St. Mary Ave.

Roney said that with the four additions, 22 of the 43 tenants in the two-storey retail portion of the Cityplace building will be locally owned and operated businesses.

“So we’ve been busy here,” she added.

In an interview earlier this year, Roney said she had been trying to attract more locally owned, entrepreneurial-style retailers to the mall because they often offer unique products not found in the larger suburban malls. That can help attract more shoppers to Cityplace and downtown, she said.

She said recent surveys have shown a growing number of Manitobans want to shop at locally owned stores.

“So we’re going to continue to search for new businesses that provide an interesting shopping experience.”

With four more tenants signed up, Roney said Cityplace’s mall boasts an occupancy rate of 97 per cent, while the entire complex has an occupancy rate of 99 per cent.

That’s a nice position to be in, she said.

“I think it’s good to have a certain amount of vacant space available in case you get that prime tenant that’s looking to open in your building. Then you’ll be able to accommodate them.”

The Morfit Training Centre is Klassen’s second in the city. He opened his first more than five years ago at 255 Taché Ave.

Klassen said the facility will open in a 7,000-square-foot, second-floor space that was occupied by another fitness centre that closed late last year.

He and Roney said the nice thing about Morfit moving into that space is that it won’t need a lot of renovations.

“It’s ideally suited, with the washrooms, the showers, the open area and the studio area for classes,” Roney added.

Klassen said the new training centre will offer many of the same services as his Taché Avenue facility. That includes general gym memberships for clients who just want to come in at their leisure and use the equipment, as well as personal-training sessions, small group fitness classes and therapy services provided by Revolution Rehab.

“But with our downtown location, our focus will definitely be on (offering) lunch-hour classes… and before and after work (classes) as well,” he added.

The 33-year-old entrepreneur said he hadn’t been actively looking for a location to open a second training centre. Rather, he was just keeping an eye out in case a good location became available. So when he heard about the Cityplace space, he jumped on it.

“It’s phenomenal how many people come through here every day. It’s connected to the Skywalk, and I imagine it will get that much busier in the winter, as well. “

Klassen said he hopes some of the previous fitness centre’s customers will try out his facility. He noted the other centre kept a pretty low profile, so not a lot of people outside of those who worked in the building knew about it.

“But we’re going to try and get the word out a little more,” he added, “and get the space used a little more in the evenings and on the weekends, when it was almost empty before.”

He said he’s not concerned that a new Snap Fitness outlet opened recently about a block away, at 323 Portage Ave. With all of new commercial and residential development in the downtown, “there are more than enough people to fill all of the different (fitness) facilities that are available.”

Roney agreed.

“With all of the new construction that’s underway or planned for downtown, it’s going to lead to additional office workers and more residents who are going to appreciate having other fitness options in the area,” she added.

Klassen noted that not long after he opened his Taché Avenue facility, another Snap Fitness centre opened not too far away on St. Mary’s Road. But his business didn’t seem to suffer any ill effects from that.

“Some people will like what we have to offer and some will like what they have to offer. So it’s nice to have both around.”

He said he’s not sure if he will open any more training centres in the city.

“I’ve always been fairly open-minded as far as business opportunities goes. We’ll see what happens down the road.”

murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca