A year and a half after iconic retailer Sears closed its doors at the downtown Midtown Plaza in Saskatoon, a significant chunk of its space on the second floor has been transformed into Midtown Common, a food court featuring 16 different tenants.
They include newcomers Mia Pasta, Bourbon Street Grill and KFC.
Midtown Common encompasses 42,000 square feet, floor-to-ceiling windows facing Riversdale and the South Saskatchewan River and 25 per cent more seating than the previous food court.
Sears had 160,000 square feet over two floors. The remainder of the second floor is blocked off.
The old food court on the first floor has already been cordoned off for Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC), When it opens next spring – as the first MEC in Saskatchewan – it will feature 16,000 square feet of retail with another 4,000 square feet for service shops and community rental space.
Its programming will include weekly running meet-ups and in-store clinics to cover topics such as backpacking, navigating with a map and compass and electronic navigation as well as do-it-yourself bike repairs.
“MEC is a great addition to the shopping centre and we believe that this, along with our beautiful new food hall, will get the people of Saskatoon and surrounding areas excited about visiting Midtown,” said Terry Napper, regional manager at Cushman & Wakefield asset services.
The mall’s ongoing facelift and new food court will cost approximately $80 million. The mall has about 11 million visitors annually.
