MEC’s new, uptown location gets one step closer to construction

MEC’s new, uptown location gets one step closer to construction

Mountain Equipment Co-op, the Vancouver-based retail destination for all things outdoorsy, is looking to build a massive new outlet in Bayview Village. The cooperative purchased a property at 784 Sheppard Avenue East in 2012, and has since been awaiting approval to construct a massive facility on the land. Now Retail Insider reports that MEC’s development plan has been okayed by the North York Community Council, bringing the suburban outlet one step closer to reality. If the application is approved by city council on February 19, construction on the new store could begin as soon as March, allowing for a grand opening in spring 2015.

As proposed by MEC, the property (formerly home to Sheridan Nurseries) would house a 44,000 square-foot retail outlet capped by a “fancy solar roof,” plus a 48-unit townhouse development built on adjacent land, which MEC plans to sell off to a developer. Located just steps from Bessarion station, the new store would give uptowners a way to stock up on backpacks and carabiners without making the trek downtown. That, and an actual reason to ride the Sheppard subway line.