By Taylor Chartrand

Mall renovations are going according to plan

Apr 29, 2019 | 5:12 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – If you’ve had the opportunity to drive past the Medicine Hat Mall over the past couple of weeks, you’ve most-likely noticed major construction taking place on the old SEARS location.

The renovations to the building are going according to plan and Richard Okrainec, Medicine Hat Mall general manager, says they’re pretty far along.

“This SEARS is probably going to be the first one done,” explained Okrainec. “The rest of them are opening next year, but this one we’re going to be opening this fall. So, I think a lot of people didn’t notice at the beginning because we had to first tear out all the concrete floor and put in the underground services. So, now that that’s all done, you can see outside there’s a lot of things going on.”

From the outside of the mall, it is clearly evident the building is undergoing some extreme changes. 

“We are taking down about 25,000 square feet of the building. It’ll be a little bit smaller and then 3-major tenants, 15,000 square feet, will occupy what’s in here.”

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Okrainec says the work currently being done is strictly landlord work.

“We’re doing all of our work to get all of the spaces ready for the tenants. There’s also more construction going on, obviously with the new washrooms and that. But, the tenant location has to be a certain way around mid-July and then the tenants take over.”

But, who the tenants are still remains a ‘mystery’.

“Tenants haven’t told me it’s o.k to say, so you won’t hear it from me, but there are 3-main tenants.”

He believes that the new portion of the mall should be open to residents by late-October, but for sure before Christmas.