Algo Centre Mall
The Algo Centre Mall (legally Eastwood Mall since 2005 but almost never referred to as such) was a mall and hotel located near Highway 108 in Elliot Lake, Ontario, Canada. It was the largest commercial complex in the area. When the community was hit by uranium mine closures in the 1990s, the complex gradually refocused, hosting multiple services, such as a library, constituency offices, and public health offices. In the years leading up to 2012, many businesses located in the mall either closed or moved to outside locations. Still, the mall was a community hub, with most of the area's clothing stores and its largest grocery store, employing upwards of 250 local residents. It accounted for 10% of the community's retail space and 6% of the total wages.
Algo Centre Mall in 2006 | |
| Location | Elliot Lake, Ontario, Canada |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 46°23′04″N 82°39′00″W |
| Address | 151 Ontario Avenue |
| Opening date | August 1980 |
| Closing date | June 23, 2012 |
| Developer | Algocen Realty Holdings Ltd. |
| Management | Rhonda Bear |
| Owner | Eastwood Mall Incorporated, Toronto (2005-present) Elliot Lake Retirement Living (1999-2005) Algocen Realty Holdings Limited (1980-1999) |
| Architect | James Keywan (architect) Beta Engineering |
| No. of stores and services | 50 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 3 |
| Total retail floor area | 190,000 sq ft (18,000 m2) (17,600 m2) |
| No. of floors | 2 (retails) 2 (hotel) |
| Parking | Ground level and roof |
| Website | Archive of website |
The mall was plagued by structural problems and leaks throughout its history. It underwent a partial structural failure on June 23, 2012, when a 12m x 24m (39'-by-79') segment of the rooftop parking deck collapsed into the building, crashing through the upper level lottery kiosk adjacent to the food court and escalators to the ground floor below. Two people died in the collapse and more than 20 people received non-life-threatening injuries. An investigation and class action lawsuits into the collapse are ongoing and the mall has been demolished.
The city of Elliot Lake purchased the vacant former Algo Centre Mall site in 2019, as the first stage in redeveloping the land for new residential and commercial uses. Part of the site will be retained by the city as a municipal "community hub" project, while the rest of it will be sold back to residential and commercial developers.