The Sparks Street mall could be considered a quaint stretch of tourist heaven right here in Ottawa. But despite continuous efforts to revamp the mall, it’s clear the mall management just doesn’t get it. Shopping should be easy and quality will always attract shoppers.
In 1967, the city closed it and turned the whole street into a pedestrian walkway. What a nice idea. A place where people could be away from cars. The only problem – people love their cars.
In 1989, the city dished out $5.6 million to make Sparks Street a pedestrian friendly place to stroll and shop, putting in the red brick paths, fountains and benches that now line the mall.
In the summer, spring and fall it’s lovely. But those three wonderful seasons don’t amount to much more than three months in Canada.
Too bad the city never thought of attracting stores like Banana Republic. Sparks Street needs stores that are worthy of its coolness.
The only reason this stunning stretch of land is like a morgue for most of the winter and after 5 p.m. is because no one thinks it’s worth the bother to park and walk to a bunch of souvenir stands.
Perhaps we should look back at the massive media coverage over the past decade about how Sparks Street is dying, about how it is trying to revive and how despite continued efforts and fancy Christmas decorations Sparks Street is plunging further into the depths of uselessness.
The mall management is trying very hard to be distinct, they hire actors, they have horse and carriage rides.
I’ve never wanted to ride a horse through the Rideau Centre. While horses may attract the touristy crowd they’re not enough to bring in year- long shoppers. I like the mall. I like good stores. I think most other people do too.
I think Sparks Street should focus less energy on being a tourist trap and more energy on being a mall where people actually want to shop. How much gelato is one city expected to eat? Where are the Gap, Club Monaco and Talbots?
Outdoor malls can work. Look at Yorkville in Toronto. The difference is people go to Yorkville to shop. People go to Sparks Street to look around.
Maybe we could turn Sparks Street into Canada’s own Rodeo Drive. A paradise north where the best stores come to boast their wares.