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The former food court dated from the last renovation in the 1980s. The valuable space in the centre of the building will be turned into retail bays.

“All the major shopping centres in Edmonton have gone through a redevelopment,” Adams said.

“Londonderry hasn’t taken that step in a long time. We have new ownership and a new management group and they were able to look at the vision of taking it to the next generation.”

The mall is run by 20 Vic Management Inc. and owned by Montez Corp., a company specializing in pension-fund real estate investment management.

Londonderry wants to take advantage of the completion of the Anthony Henday ring road this year that will bring new customers to the mall while also better serving northeast Edmonton by giving the area its own fashion-focused destination shopping centre, Adams said.

Londonderry Mall opened in 1972. It was then the largest shopping centre west of Toronto and the only two-level mall in Western Canada.

Since its heyday, it’s struggled to keep pace with other Edmonton malls and power centres, said Paul McElhone, dean of management at Concordia University of Edmonton.