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One of the country’s largest outdoor retailers committed more than a year ago to opening its first store in Saskatoon this spring, but two weeks into 2020 no opening date has been announced.

In November 2018, Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) and Midtown Plaza unveiled plans to spend between $2 and $3 million on renovations for MEC to occupy a 20,000-square-foot space next to the downtown mall’s new food court.

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Photo by Liam Richards / Saskatoon StarPhoenix

The food court, called Midtown Common, occupies part of the space vacated by Sears in 2017. The redesign was part of an $80-million renovation of the department store’s former location and broader refurbishments at the mall. MEC’s 20,000-square-foot store, billed as the co-operative’s first in Saskatchewan and 25th in Canada, has been expected to serve as an anchor tenant in the space. But neither MEC nor the mall would provide an update on construction this week.

“We have no new information to share at this time,” MEC said in an emailed statement.