Oakridge Park - The Transformation of a Regional Shopping Centre into a Mixed-Use Urban Destination

Phil McArthur, CSM, CDP, CRX

When Oakridge Shopping Centre opened in Vancouver in 1959, it represented a new era of suburban retail development. As one of the city’s first regional shopping centres, it reflected the retail philosophy of its time: department store anchors, generous surface parking and a destination designed around the automobile. For decades, Oakridge served as a successful regional shopping centre, evolving through renovations and tenant changes while remaining an important part of Vancouver’s retail landscape.

Oakridge Shopping Centre, 1960s

Oakridge Shopping Centre, Early 2000’s

More than six decades later, the site is undergoing one of North America’s most ambitious retail-led mixed-use redevelopments. Rather than refurbishing an ageing shopping centre, the owners have fundamentally reimagined the 28-acre site as Oakridge Park– a master-planned urban destination where retail is integrated with residential, commercial, hospitality and public life.

The redevelopment will deliver approximately 850,000 square feet (79,000 square metres) of retail space accommodating more than 300 retail, dining and lifestyle brands, alongside 2,600 residential homes, approximately 700,000 square feet of office and commercial space, a luxury hotel, entertainment venues and community facilities. More than nine acres of publicly accessible parks, plazas and landscaped open space, including one of North America’s largest accessible rooftop parks, position the development as much more than a retail destination.

Equally significant is its integration with public transport. Built directly above Oakridge–41st Avenue Station on Vancouver’s Canada Line, Oakridge Park is approximately 15 minutes from Downtown Vancouver and 20 minutes from Vancouver International Airport. In today’s retail environment, connectivity has become as valuable as traditional anchor tenants, generating a consistent flow of residents, workers and visitors while reducing reliance on private vehicles.

The transformation reflects a broader evolution in retail development strategy. Historically, regional shopping centres relied on department stores to generate footfall. Today, successful destinations depend on multiple demand generators operating together. Residents create daily convenience spending, office workers sustain weekday activity, visitors support -hospitality and leisure, and high-quality public spaces encourage longer dwell times and repeat visitation. Retail no longer carries the destination on its own – it thrives as part of a broader urban ecosystem.

hospitality and leisure, and high-quality public spaces encourage longer dwell times and repeat visitation. Retail no longer carries the destination on its own – it thrives as part of a broader urban ecosystem.

Oakridge Park also demonstrates how strategic redevelopment can unlock significantly greater value from well-located land. Rather than dedicating a prime urban site exclusively to retail, the project combines complementary land uses that diversify revenue streams while creating a built-in customer base for retailers. This integrated approach strengthens both commercial resilience and long-term asset performance.

For developers, investors and asset owners, Oakridge Park offers a compelling lesson: the future of successful retail destinations lies not in expanding retail alone, but in creating places where people choose to live, work, connect and spend time. Mixed-use development, transit integration and vibrant public realm are no longer complementary features—they have become fundamental drivers of long-term retail success.

At PHIL McARTHUR & PARTNERS, this philosophy underpins our advisory approach. We help developers, investors and asset owners evaluate opportunities, reposition existing assets and plan future retail destinations through commercially driven strategies that respond to changing markets, evolving consumer behaviour and long-term urban growth. The objective is not simply to create successful retail developments, but to deliver destinations that remain relevant, resilient and financially sustainable for decades to come.

Oakridge Park - The Transformation of a Regional Shopping Centre into a Mixed-Use Urban Destination

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