It's a mystery with as much speculation as who shot JR.
What business is going to be the new anchor tenant at Royal City Centre?
The owners aren't saying, and for months now it has been a guessing game over which business will go into the fledgling mall. Speculation amped up recently after the city received a permit application from the mall to build an atrium-style entrance on Sixth Avenue near Eighth Street, beside the Dynamic Health and Fitness entrance, for a new anchor tenant for the first and second floors of the mall.
The names being kicked around the rumour mill include Target and Winners/HomeSense, but the property's owners, Strathallen Capital Corp., haven't announced what new business the mall will house. The Toronto-based company could not be reached at press time for comment.
When asked about his theory on what it will be, Uptown Business Association president Bart Slotman said it's not his place to speculate.
"I really don't want to add to the speculation," Slotman said. "As far as I'm concerned, we should leave it up to the retailer to announce when they are ready to announce."
The mall owners are likely keeping the identity under wraps because there are many factors at play for a large retail tenant to enter into a market, Slotman said.
"There's staffing issues, there is competitive forces ... there's all kinds of issues that could be at play, " he said. "They will announce the market when they're ready and when they have their things under control."
Still, Slotman, who owns Uptown Property Group, appreciates the public's interest in knowing which tenant it will be.
"I think it's a very important piece of the puzzle for Royal City Centre, and I think it's very important that they have the right retailer to take that space, and I think it's great to hear the community being so interested in it," he said.
