Agincourt Mall

File:Agincourt Mall Interior 2023.jpg

File:Agincourt Mall Interior2 2023.jpg

The mall's main tenants are Walmart and No Frills. The mall has one major east-west walkway with the No Frills on the south-west corner and the Walmart on the east end. In the parking lot of the mall is a large drug store. The mall has north and south parking lots, which take up most of the property and the mall is set back from Sheppard Avenue and Kennedy Road.

Agincourt Mall opened on Wednesday, November 23, 1966. It was the first indoor shopping mall in Scarborough, with Woolco as the anchor retail store.{{Cite web|url=http://agincourtmall.com/about-us/gallery/|title=History – Agincourt Mall|website=agincourtmall.com|language=en-CA|access-date=2018-10-02}} Given the pre-Christmas date, Santa Claus attended, handing out candy canes.{{cite news|title=The Second Phase of Agincourt Mall Opens Tomorrow (advertisement)|newspaper=The Toronto Star|date=22 November 1966|page=22}}

Scarborough Public Library operated a small branch (Agincourt Neighbourhood Library) in the mall since 1967,{{cite web|url=http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?Nr=p_cat_branch_name:Agincourt|title=Agincourt|website=Toronto Public Library}} but it was relocated in 1991 to a new building at 155 Bonis Avenue (as Agincourt District) in behind the mall and run by Toronto Public Library since 1998.

In March 2011, shoppers were forced to evacuate from the mall due to a presence of smoke. According to Toronto police Staff Sgt. Karl Heilimo, a fire started shortly after 6 p.m. in a hydro transformer approximately 15 to 20 feet from the building and left the mall without power.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2011/03/17/agincourt_mall_evacuated_after_fire_in_transformer.html|title=Agincourt Mall evacuated after fire in transformer {{!}} The Star|last=|first=|date=|work=thestar.com|access-date=2018-10-01|language=en}} No injuries were reported.

The mall's location is now the subject of a redevelopment proposal. In June 2017, the City Planning Division received an Official Plan Amendment (OPA) to permit the redevelopment of the commercial property. The project, developed by the [https://www.nadg.com North American Development Group], is the second-largest active residential application in Toronto.{{Cite news|url=https://www.toronto.com/news-story/8146618-huge-mixed-use-development-planned-for-scarborough-s-agincourt-mall/|title=Huge mixed-use development planned for Scarborough's Agincourt Mall|last=D'Andrea|first=Aaron|date=2018-02-23|work=Toronto.com|access-date=2018-10-01|language=en-CA}} Given the size and complexity of the project, the City of Toronto launched its own Planning Framework Review to inform recommendations on the application and manage future expansion for the mall and its surrounding area.{{Cite news|url=https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/planning-development/planning-studies-initiatives/agincourt-mall-planning-framework-review/overview-agincourt-mall-planning-framework-review/|title=Overview: Agincourt Mall Planning Framework Review|last=Toronto|first=City of|date=2017-11-01|work=City of Toronto|access-date=2018-10-01|language=en-CA}} Redevelopment across the site is projected to benefit from urban intensification initiatives with the vision for high quality, sustainable growth to the community.{{Cite web|url=http://urbantoronto.ca/database/projects/agincourt-mall-redevelopment|title=Agincourt Mall Redevelopment {{!}} Urban Toronto|website=urbantoronto.ca|language=en|access-date=2018-10-01}}

The master plan proposed by architects [http://gpaia.com/ Giannone Petricone Associates] calls for approximately 440,000 m² of new spaces including the use for residential, retail, office, community space, and a public park. Within the mix of land uses would consists of 406,040 m² of residential uses, 8,490 m² of office uses, 23,685 m² of commercial retail uses, and 1,940 m² of community facility space, and 17,500 m² of open space linking greenways to other public and private squares.{{Cite web|url=http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2017/06/agincourt-mall-redevelopment-advances-opa-submission|title=Agincourt Mall Redevelopment Advances With OPA Submission {{!}} Urban Toronto|website=urbantoronto.ca|language=en|access-date=2018-10-01}} Among the major public space proposed is a 2-acre central public park on the west end and a pedestrianized road that act as a gateway to the complex from Sheppard. Development for the site plans of thirteen towers widely spaced across seven blocks, with a mix of low-rise to high-rise building units. While most of the retail spaces are arranged for shops to face towards the street, two larger spaces located centrally are planned so that the two main anchor tenants, Nick’s No Frills and Walmart can reopen in the development.

Area residents were briefed on the proposal in 2017. However, many are worried about the impact it has to the community such as local traffic congestions and the lack of light, wind, and shadow due to high-rise buildings units.{{Cite web|url=https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2018/sc/bgrd/backgroundfile-115386.pdf|title=Agincourt mall planning framework review - status report}}

Serial killer Bruce McArthur was a mall Santa at this mall "as recently as" 2016.{{Cite web|url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/2018/02/13/bruce-mcarthur-santa/|title=How did Bruce McArthur become a mall Santa? - CityNews Toronto}} No incidents are known to have occurred.

In August 2018, a 35-year-old man was stabbed in front of the LCBO store of the mall, sustaining serious lower body injuries.{{cite web |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4383713/stabbing-sheppard-kennedy/ |title=Man, 35, stabbed in east-end Toronto: Police |last=MacLeod |first=Alana |work=Global News |date=August 12, 2018 |access-date=August 14, 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/2018/08/12/male-stabbed-agincourt-mall/ |title=Man suffer life-threatening injuries in stabbing near Agincourt Mall |last= |first= |work=CTV News Toronto |date=August 12, 2018 |access-date=August 14, 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://www.cp24.com/news/man-seriously-injured-in-stabbing-at-agincourt-mall-1.4049954 |title=Man seriously injured in stabbing at Agincourt Mall |last=Freeman |first=Joshua |work=CP24 |date=August 12, 2018 |access-date=August 14, 2018}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://www.agincourtmall.net/}}
• [http://www.blogto.com/fashion_style/2011/05/toronto_malls_in_need_of_makeovers_agincourt_mall/ 2011 review of the mall]

{{Shopping Malls in the Golden Horseshoe}}

Category:Shopping malls in Toronto

Category:Buildings and structures in Scarborough, Ontario

Category:Shopping malls established in 1966

Category:1966 establishments in Ontario