Remember the Eatonville farm. On this very land Cloverdale Mall emerged in 1956.
Cloverdale Mall is a community shopping center. It sits in Toronto’s Etobicoke district. The address is 250 The East Mall. This is northeast of Dundas Street West and Highway 427.
Originally, it was an open-air shopping plaza. Imagine a sunny courtyard filled with shoppers. There were 34 stores at the start. Dominion and S.S Kresge were among them. Laura Secord Chocolates tempted passersby. Tip Top Tailors offered stylish suits. Banks like Nova Scotia and Canadian Bank of Commerce added convenience.
In 1960, Morgan’s joined Cloverdale Mall. It had two floors. This was a major expansion for the shopping center. Later, Hudson’s Bay Company bought Morgan’s. The store became The Bay.
The 1980s brought big changes. Cloverdale Mall transformed into an enclosed mall. It expanded to offer even more retail options.
In 2005, The Bay became Zellers. Hudson’s Bay Company wanted a discount store here. Zellers expanded the main level. The upper level remained closed.
Winners and Kitchen Stuff Plus arrived later. They took over the old Zellers outlet space. Cloverdale Mall underwent major renovations in 2006. In 2008, the Dominion store became Metro.
September 2012 marked another shift. Zellers closed because its lease was sold to Target. Target opened on the bottom floor in March 2013.
But Target’s time in Canada was short. In January 2015, Target announced its departure. All Canadian stores closed within months.
The Cloverdale store remained vacant for years. Then, in February 2024, Fairgrounds Public Racket Club opened. Pickleball courts filled the former Target space.
Today, QuadReal Property Group owns Cloverdale Mall. They plan a mixed-use development. The Cloverdale Mall name will remain. The rezoning application was planned for March 2020.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the mall played a vital role. A large-scale clinic distributed vaccines here.
Cloverdale Mall boasts less than 80 stores and services. It has four anchor tenants. The retail floor area totals 46,000 square meters.
QuadReal aims to create an innovative community. It envisions a dynamic center for retail, arts, and culture. The goal is a sustainable residential community. Approximately 45% of the site would be parks and open spaces.
Cloverdale Mall serves a large customer base. The area has over 200,000 residents. A 24-hour grocery store and a Home Hardware serve the community. A vehicle licensing center adds convenience. Restaurants like KFC, Subway, and Mr. Souvlaki offer dining options. Cloverdale Mall continues to evolve. It adapts to meet the needs of its community.