Vaughan Mills is getting a pricey upgrade and one of Holt Renfrew’s new hr2 stores

Toronto’s malls have fully embraced a “bigger is better” mentality: Yorkdale completed its mega-renovation last fall, Sherway Gardens is embarking on a $350-million revitalization of its own, and several developers have ambitious plans for the outlet malls on the city’s fringes. This week, it was Ivanhoe Cambridge’s turn to announce plans for an $87-million expansion at Vaughan Mills, its mall-outlet hybrid just north of Toronto. Construction will begin this spring on the 14,000-square-metre addition, which will bring 50 new stores and three new anchor tenants, including a Legoland, to the space, plus an entertainment court, 450 parking spots, a redesigned food court and new finishings throughout the mall. Meanwhile, Holt Renfrew is following through with plans to convert its existing Last Call outlet into an hr2, the department store’s new off-price offshoot. According to Retail Insider, the Last Call location will close on February 2 for renovations, with the new store slated to open in April.