40,000 sq ft retailer to open at former Fitness World on Granville strip

40,000 sq ft retailer over two levels to open at former Steve Nash Fitness World space on Granville Street in downtown Vancouver

Construction progress of the new two-storey retail space at the former Fitness World location at The Hudson at 610 Granville Street, Vancouver, as of March 14, 2024. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Two years after Steve Nash Fitness World permanently closed its flagship location within The Hudson building in downtown Vancouver, the space is now on pace to see a brand new retail use.

This will be a very significant new retailer taking over the entirety of the fitness gym’s former space.

There will be almost 40,000 sq ft of retail on the second and third levels of the 32-storey tower at 610 Granville Street — immediately adjacent to the Hudson’s Bay department store.

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A dedicated entry for the store has also been created, with the ground-level retail unit closest to the Granville Street entrance of SkyTrain Granville Station turned into the store’s main entrance — where up and down escalators have been newly installed.

There is also another set of escalators that connect the second and third levels of the store.

the hudson 610 granville street vancouver retail construction april 8 2024

Construction progress of the new two-storey retail space at the former Fitness World location at The Hudson at 610 Granville Street, Vancouver, as of April 8, 2024. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

the hudson 610 granville street vancouver retail construction march 14 2024

Construction progress of the new two-storey retail space at the former Fitness World location at The Hudson at 610 Granville Street, Vancouver, as of March 14, 2024. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

But the identity of the retailer that will open in this two-level space later in 2024 has not been made public yet.

“I don’t want to speak before the tenant,” Kerry Bonnis, whose family owns and operates Bonnis Properties, told Daily Hive Urbanized last week in an interview.

“We’re quite excited about them as it’s going to generate a ton of activity, and they’ll have their own street-level entrance with new escalators and a new elevator… So we’re hoping that’s going to be a new injection of more retail and help solidify Granville as an exciting street to walk and shop upon.”

This space’s previous use as a major fitness gym did not have its dedicated street entrance, as Fitness World was only accessible through the building’s main residential lobby at Granville Street, with gym goers using the staircase or elevator to reach the fitness gym’s lobby area on the second level.

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Construction progress of the new two-storey retail space at the former Fitness World location at The Hudson at 610 Granville Street, Vancouver, as of March 14, 2024. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Bonnis also noted that an adjacent ground-level retail unit — located adjacent to the main entrance into upper retail space — is currently for lease, and has seen some strong interest from international retailers.

In a panel discussing the Granville strip’s future in March 2023, Bonnis deemed this to be a multinational chain before adding that the retailer has been experiencing delays due to the municipal government’s permitting. The retailer was also concerned that they would not be able to receive a permit to install an exterior sign.

A recent leasing brochure by commercial real estate firm Marcus & Millichap for a nearby retail unit on the Granville strip provided an optimistic outlook for the area by noting that a national brand operated by TJX Companies will soon be opening a 35,000 sq ft flagship store in an unspecified nearby area.

TJX’s brands within Canada entail Marshalls, HomeSense, and Winners.

There is also already a HomeSense location nearby on the second level of 493 Robson Street, directly above the IGA grocery store.

The Granville strip already has Winners within the third floor of the retail building of 798 Granville Street, which is also known for Best Buy being the building’s other anchor retailer. Bonnis Properties is currently in the process of selling the Winners/Best Buy building as part of its strategy to free up capital for its multi-family residential projects elsewhere in the city.

“A lot of the tenants at 798 Granville Street have renewed their leases. It’s quite amazing, and quite a testament to the success of that particular block on Robson and Granville streets that several tenants now are going into their third decade of tenancy. Many of these businesses are renewing their leases for the long term,” Bonnis told Daily Hive Urbanized.

“And with the expected change that’s going to happen at the [former space of] Nordstrom, a lot of them are quite eager to see increased growth in the coming years.”

The former Nordstrom space adjacent to 798 Granville Street spans 230,000 sq ft of prime retail space over three levels of CF Pacific Centre shopping mall.

“I’ve heard there’s going to be not just one tenant replacing the vacancy of Nordstrom, and apparently there will be a few tenants — exciting ones. That will certainly serve as a catalyst to help see some new growth and excitement for the core,” continued Bonnis.

Daily Hive Urbanized recently reached out to Cadillac Fairview for more information on the future tenants of the former Nordstrom space. The mall owner indicated they do not have any updates to share at this time.

While most of the retailers of 798 Granville Street intend to remain for the long haul, at least one longtime retailer will be leaving soon. Skater clothing and shoe retailer VANS is permanently closing its 4,100 sq ft ground-level unit on or before April 13, 2024, according to a newly posted storefront sign. The unit is now listed for lease.

VANS at 798 Granville Street, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

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The Best Buy/Winners building at 798 Granville Street, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

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The Best Buy/Winners building at 798 Granville Street, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Just to the south, also on behalf of Bonnis Properties, Marcus & Millichap is also looking to seek a longer-term tenant for the two-storey commercial space entailing The Lennox Pub and the former two-storey space of Payless Shoes at 800 Granville Street at the southeast corner of the intersection of Robson and Granville streets. Shein is opening a four-day pop-up store within the former Payless Shoes space later this week, from April 8 to 11, 2024 only.

Bonnis told Daily Hive Urbanized that his company’s massive 800 Granville Street mixed-use development proposal is going back to the drawing board on the design, as significant office uses are no longer economically feasible.

Just across the street from 800 Granville within the former site of Empire Granville 7 theatre at 850 Granville Street, Cineplex is expected to open its long-awaited The Rec Room entertainment centre on the Granville Entertainment District sometime later in 2024. This will be Metro Vancouver’s second The Rec Room location, with 45,000 sq ft of dining, arcade gaming, and other entertainment experiences spanning three levels.

And further to the south at 950 Granville Street, a new four-storey retail and office building will introduce five new restaurants to the Granville strip — KFC, Taco Bell, Rice and Noodle, Pizza Garden, and Parsley Berlin Style Doner-Kebab — as well as a new federal government Passport Office and a new location for Cornerstone International Education. This new building at 950 Granville Street will reach completion in June 2024.

Although the Central Business District lost its flagship Fitness World location, another destinations-sized fitness gym will be opening nearby later this year. Evolve Strength will open a 35,000 sq ft flagship location at The Post, on the third level just above Loblaws City Market, later in 2024.

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Construction progress on Cineplex’s The Rec Room at 850 Granville Street in downtown Vancouver, as of October 25, 2023. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

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Construction progress on 950 Granville Street, Vancouver, as of April 4, 2024. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Shein pop-up store at 804 Granville Street, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

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