Kingsgate Mall has been called wonderful, but also weird. Charming, but also creepy. It鈥檚 been advertised as 鈥淰ancouver鈥檚 secret retail jewel,鈥� but also, by one Yelp reviewer, 鈥�1990s depression recast as a mall.鈥�
Kingsgate has become a 麻豆传媒映画landmark over the years. Some bus drivers of the 99 B-Line even like to announce its presence to riders. Local artists and musicians have used it in their works.
If you鈥檙e new to the city, you might wonder why a humble mall 鈥� with a Buy-Low Foods, a Shoppers Drug Mart, a Payless Shoes, a barber and a florist 鈥� attained local stardom.
Perhaps it鈥檚 surprises like the Bitcoin machine or the kiosk that sells lobster products. Perhaps it鈥檚 the nostalgic retro trappings, like the Noah鈥檚 Ark you can ride for a dollar or the hand-painted mural of hill country by the washrooms.
鈥淎nd I thought West Edmonton Mall was amazing,鈥� wrote one reviewer on Facebook. 鈥淭his place has defied physics and made time stand still.鈥�
It鈥檚 not completely inaccurate. The neighbourhood of Mount Pleasant is ever changing, with rising rents and longtime businesses closing. A sleek tower, the Independent, is going up across the street. Kingsgate, built in 1974, is living testament of an older Vancouver.
Amid the change, an unofficial Twitter account popped up in 2013 to archive mall happenings and deals. Tongue-in-cheek, tweeted urgent calls to buy velour tracksuits, expiring ground beef and giant $200 ceramic Santa heads.
The account was amusing to many 鈥� with about 8,000 followers 鈥� but the young woman behind it takes gentrification in Mount Pleasant personally. Because while many insist that time stands still at Kingsgate, its days may be numbered if development has its way.
Cheap and easy
Michelle Hanley and Asha Wozny were hung over when they decided to get some pho for remedy. Across the street was Kingsgate Mall.
They wondered if it had a social media presence. After all, it was a local institution.
鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing that it鈥檚 still around,鈥� said Hanley, whose grandmother used to take her there every weekend for groceries. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so bizarre, but it fits the neighbourhood so well.鈥�
鈥� KINGSGATE MALL (@kingsgatemall)
So Hanley and Wozny created their own Twitter account for the mall and began tweeting away:
鈥淭here are no hotdogs today only sadness.鈥�
鈥淐OME DOWN TO KINGSGATE MALL AND BUY YOURSELF WHAT YOU REALLY WANTED FOR CHRISTMAS. A VELOUR TRACKSUIT!鈥�
鈥淭GIF drown your work week sorrows in some room temperature beers from our government liquor store.鈥�
They racked up fans by the thousands. Canadian pop stars Tegan and Sara even followed the account. Hanley and Wozny then mocked malls with fewer followers, like Metrotown and Pacific Centre. @pacificcentre has since blocked @kingsgatemall.
The attention reminded Hanley of why people love Kingsgate. 鈥淓verything鈥檚 a cheap deal, but also everyone is welcome there,鈥� she said. Young hipsters and seniors alike.
some sweet deals on meatloaf
鈥� KINGSGATE MALL (@kingsgatemall)
Another neighbourhood spot with a diverse crowd was Reno鈥檚 Restaurant, said Hanley. It has since closed. Other mainstays are also . RX Comics, vegetarian eatery Foundation and Hot Art Wet City are also closing 鈥� owners have said it鈥檚 too expensive to stay.
鈥淚 grew up in Mount Pleasant, and now I鈥檓 watching everything I鈥檝e ever loved turn into minimalist, cold-press juiceries,鈥� said Hanley half-joking.
But the mall wasn鈥檛 always a friendly place to be. While Hanley helped boost the mall鈥檚 popularity, another woman worked hard to shine it up.
Mall of the wild
In 1999, Leyda Molnar was asked by the owners of Kingsgate Mall to manage it. She told them no.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 tell you exactly what I said to them because you鈥檒l print it!鈥� said Molnar.
Kingsgate had a reputation. Loiterers often smoked and drank at entrances. It even attracted crime: 麻豆传媒映画Sun and Province stories from the 1980s and 1990s mention some theft and violence.
While Molnar refused to manage the mall, she did help with promotions and security. Then in 2006, when the Beedie Group took over ownership, Molnar decided to give managing a shot.
She brought in choice tenants and tightened security. But Molnar had a vision for something more.
鈥淲e鈥檙e a community shopping centre,鈥� said Molnar, 鈥渟o you gotta involve the community.鈥�
Community meant dragon dancers for Chinese New Year, Irish dancers for St. Patrick鈥檚 Day, and pumpkin carving at Halloween. It meant seniors days with guests speakers, tea and coffee. It meant partnerships with the local neighbourhood house and Lions Club.
She even brought in unconventional tenants. A congregation whose Kingsway church caught on fire made the mall their home. An Emily Carr student who made puppets from bicycle parts and even brought in a band. Even an oil painter: 79-year-old Julio Mariano Llanera Jr.
鈥淭his mall is like my office,鈥� said Llanera.
He does oil paintings, mostly portraits and wildlife. His latest work combines a bit of both: a chef prodding a giant hunk of camel meat, commissioned for a book called How to Cook a Camel.
Even Molnar is occasionally surprised by prospective tenants. Recently, a tailor insisted on setting up shop under the stairs and someone wanted to put in a Bitcoin machine. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 quite understand it,鈥� said Molnar, 鈥渂ut apparently it鈥檚 doing quite well.鈥�
A curious mix, but it works, and everyone at the mall speaks highly of Molnar for making it home.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not Metrotown, but it鈥檚 family,鈥� said Nadia Dominguez, 27, who works at her parents鈥� store, Lely鈥檚 Books. At Lely鈥檚, like many other businesses in the mall, it鈥檚 all first names.
Uncertain future
The 麻豆传媒映画School Board owns Kingsgate鈥檚 land. One of their schools, Mount Pleasant, stood where the mall is from 1892 to 1972.
The land is appraised for about $79 million. Beedie pays the board an annual lease of about $750,000. Since purchasing Kingsgate, Beedie has expressed interest in redeveloping it, an opportunity the city鈥檚 Mount Pleasant Community Plan also mentions.
EVERYTHING IS TERRIBLE SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME
鈥� KINGSGATE MALL (@kingsgatemall)
Last summer, B.C. Education Minister Mike Bernier had hoped the school board would to help with its budget shortfall. The board refused. However, the entire board was fired last October by the minister and a new trustee was appointed to the school district.
Once again, Kingsgate鈥檚 future is up in the air, though Molnar says it might be a while.
鈥淚鈥檇 hate to see it go,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ut I also realize that you鈥檝e got to move on. Changes are inevitable for this year.鈥�
STILL NOT A CONDO
鈥� KINGSGATE MALL (@kingsgatemall)
Meanwhile, Hanley works across the street from Kingsgate at a burrito shop. She visits the mall often, collecting points at Shoppers, looking for dollar store deals and sitting with seniors playing keno.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to break my heart if it goes,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ut it鈥檚 a beautiful miracle that it鈥檚 still standing.鈥�
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@bychrischeung
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