The ambitious vision for White Oaks Mall continues to take shape with newly announced plans to build a hotel, add a popular entertainment centre, and open more dining options. On Thursday, President of Westdell Development Corporation Iyman Meddoui revealed several exciting additions coming to the mall in south London. “We saw an opportunity here that the mall could thrive with our vision, knowing that it’s in a transit village,” Meddoui explained. He offered a sneak peek at renovations to accommodate Canada’s first FOOTLAB, a state-of-the-art soccer training and entertainment facility backed by superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. Westdell Developments, which purchased the mall three years ago, will also build a Marriott hotel behind the H&M store on the southside of the property. A Splitsville entertainment centre will open on the second floor, and a new Swiss Chalet and Wingstop are coming as well. It’s all in addition to recently opening Canada’s first compact Ikea store. London Mayor Josh Morgan credits cooperation between the developer and the city, along with the mall’s proximity to the Wellington Gateway Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route that’s currently under construction. “The BRT project isn’t just about the underground water and wastewater (improvements), or the flood control measures, it’s about the economic development driver that it can be for both residential and commercial development,” Morgan said after the announcement. Coun. Elizabeth Peloza, whose ward includes the mall, says the BRT is attracting investment, “As we’re seeing shovels in the ground for new housing, as we see stores coming for retail opportunities and commerce, that is the proof.” Under a new agreement between Westdell and the London Transit Commission (LTC), bus stops will move from near the Beertown patio to an area outside Entrance 5. BRT buses will be permitted to turn around on the mall’s property for their return trip north along Wellington to Downtown London until a park-and-ride facility is constructed near Holiday Drive. The shorter route for buses to turn around will cumulatively save the LTC about a million dollars each year. Coun. Corrine Rahman, Vice-Chair of the LTC tells CTV News, “We know ridership is going to increase as new jobs and opportunities come here. Customers will have more reasons to come to White Oaks Mall, so we want to make sure that experience is good from the moment they get on transit to when they’re riding on it.” Meddoui says White Oaks Mall is becoming a place where Londoners can live, shop, work, and play. “We would see the hotel possibly break ground over the next 12 months, and the residential, depending on the timing of other projects that we have going on, could be within the next 12 to 18 months,” he added.
