Ivanhoé Cambridge celebrates the opening of Guildford Town Centre’s $280-million expansion and redevelopment

Ivanhoé Cambridge is celebrating the completion of phase two of an extensive $280-million expansion and redevelopment project at Guildford Town Centre, making the shopping centre the largest regional shopping destination south of the Fraser River.

Over 19,850 m² (213,500 ft²) of retail space has been added to accommodate 70 retailers. Among them are top national and international brands such as Browns, Forever 21, H&M, Jack & Jones, Kiehl’s since 1851, Sephora and The LEGO Store.

“Our goal is to position Guildford Town Centre at the cutting edge of design and retail trends,” said Daniel Fournier, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ivanhoé Cambridge. “As one of the largest development projects in our portfolio, this endeavour drew upon our Company’s vast range of professional expertise to pull it off. We think the results speak for themselves.”

“We’re very excited to celebrate this special day with the Surrey community,” says Peggy White, General Manager, Guildford Town Centre. “Guildford Town Centre is now, with its expanded range of stores and amenities, poised to provide shoppers with a unique, family-friendly shopping environment and an unparalleled retail experience.”

Highlights of the expansion:

• More than 70 additional stores
• A new 1,034-seat food court
• New spacious washrooms, with nursing and family rooms
• Brand-new grand entrance
• Sleek new interior, complete with new seating areas and a new centre court with a glass-enclosed elevator and water feature
• A Walmart Supercentre (opened in 2011)

Phase three of the major redevelopment will see additional new retailers and is scheduled for completion in fall of 2014. The project has contributed to the local economy by creating 4,000 jobs during the construction period and 750 new permanent retails jobs upon completion.

A nearly 930-m² (10,000 ft²) Living Wall on the exterior of the shopping centre has also been inaugurated. The Living Wall extends over one of Surrey’s major commuting streets and stands alone as the largest of its kind in North America featuring more than 120 different species of plants. The indoor and outdoor Living Walls also contribute a number of environmental benefits such as improving the urban heat island effect, act as carbon sinks and improving overall energy efficiency.

Guildford Town Centre has also taken a forward thinking approach to the redesign by pursuing LEED^® Gold certification from the Canada Green Building Council. The shopping centre’s new green features will include bicycle storage and change rooms for retail tenants and employees, a compost system in the food court and innovative wastewater technologies that include low-flow water fixtures throughout the building.

The shopping centre will be hosting a Grand Opening Celebration starting at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, August 28, kicking off a long weekend of live entertainment and special giveaways. Following the celebration, doors to the expansion will open at 10:00 a.m.

In celebration of the Grand Opening, Guildford Town Centre is holding a $52,000 “Yours for a Year” Giveaway from August 28 to September 2, 2013. One lucky guest will receive $1,000 per week for one year in gift cards that can be used throughout the shopping centre. The Grand Opening will also mark the launch of the GTC Shopper Reward program that will run from August 28 – December 31, 2013. Guests are encouraged to engage with the shopping centre online through Twitter, Instagram, Foursquare and Facebook for reward points that can be redeemed for gift cards, prizes and special VIP experiences.

To view time-lapse video of the new Living Wall: youtu.be/WA2wgZohRAk & youtu.be/NL-rDNaLfBg

About Guildford Town Centre

Guildford Town Centre is a super regional shopping centre centrally located in Surrey, the fastest growing city in Metro Vancouver and Western Canada. The redeveloped centre offers a blend of new-to-market and fashion retailers, services, amenities, facilities, eateries and entertainment. With 1.2 million square feet of leasing space, Guildford Town Centre is the largest regional shopping centre south of the Fraser River. Connect with Guildford Town Centre at www.GuildfordTownCentre.com.

About Ivanhoé Cambridge

Ivanhoé Cambridge is a world-class real estate company that leverages its high-level expertise in all aspects of real estate, including investment, development, asset management and building operations, to deliver an optimal return for its investors. Through its multiple subsidiaries, it holds assets in more than 20 countries valued at over Cdn$35 billion as at December 31, 2012. Ivanhoé Cambridge is a real estate subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (www.cdpq.com), one of Canada's leading institutional fund managers. For more information, visit www.ivanhoecambridge.com.