Don’t let Wimgym move

The mall has become a gathering spot of sorts for many retired locals, and those who come to the mall on a regular basis would have to travel longer distances in order to achieve the level of socialization they get at the mall, and in its common area, every day.

On the other hand, the decision to eschew strip-mall status and retain the enclosed nature of the mall means rent will eventually go up, and big corporations like Metro, Pharmaprix and the Royal Bank of Canada are only too happy to pay the extra coin to reside in refurbished digs.

But one large tenant in Beaconsfield Shopping Centre will not be able to pay the extra rent now being demanded by the mall, which has had trouble attracting tenants and sits mostly dormant and half-empty these days.

That tenant is Wimgym (see Marc Lalonde’s parenting column on Page 26 for more Wimgym discussion), and the non-profit group — who is, ironically enough, responsible for the vast majority of mall traffic at the quiet western end of the mall, will have to move.

Where they’ll move to is as-yet-undetermined.

One thing is clear, though. Once again, a community institution is taking a back seat to business, and Wimgym is paying the price. The organization pays its costs through parent fees and fundraising, and although an increase isn’t out of the question, Wimgym has long prided itself on providing value for your dollar.

Silly people. Look where that’s gotten them.

About 10 years ago, the same subject came up regarding Baie d’Urfé Plaza. The idea of taking the mall and ‘strip-ifying’ it from an enclosed mall to a strip mall has yielded fruit in terms of reduced costs and easy access to storefronts, while the Plaza Pointe Claire shopping centre is a good example of a local mall that has remained an enclosed ‘community centre’ mall that has become as much of an attraction for its welcoming nature and centrality as for the merchandise its stores sell.

Either way, the company that owns the mall, First Capital Realty needs to recognize the benefit of having Wimgym in the mall, at any cost. It brings in tons of young families whose willingness to spend money on their kids can only be seen as a boon for other businesses in the mall.

Make the right decision. Let Wimgym stay where it is.쇓