Woodbine Centre

Last updated
Woodbine Centre
Woodbine Centre logo.png
Woodbine Centre Atrium 2023.JPG
Woodbine Centre Atrium in 2023
Woodbine Centre
Coordinates 43°43′13″N79°36′01″W / 43.72028°N 79.60028°W / 43.72028; -79.60028
Address500 Rexdale Boulevard
Toronto, Ontario
M9W 6K5
Opening date1985
Developer Cadillac Fairview
OwnerWoodbine Mall Holdings
ArchitectCrang and Boake Incorporated [1]
No. of stores and services107
No. of anchor tenants 2
Total retail floor area 750,000 sq ft (69,677 m2) [2]
No. of floors2
Website Woodbine Mall
Exterior of the mall Woodbine Mall & Fantasy Fair exterior view 2023.JPG
Exterior of the mall

Woodbine Centre is a shopping mall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at Rexdale Boulevard and Highway 27 in the Rexdale area of Toronto, across Rexdale Boulevard from Woodbine Racetrack. The mall has over 130 stores and is home to Fantasy Fair, a year-round indoor amusement park. The fair houses a Charles I. D. Looff carousel. It is one of 13 still in operation today. [3] They also have a 50-foot ferris wheel which they say is the only one in North America. [3] The ferris wheel was closed in April 2024. [4]

Contents

History

Woodbine Centre was opened in 1985 by developer Cadillac Fairview, [1] Its design served as inspiration for property developer Sir John Hall when planning the MetroCentre, the UK's largest shopping mall, in the 1980s. [5]

In 2008, proposed development of an entertainment centre at Woodbine Racetrack and the closure of national stores like Shoppers Drug Mart fuelled rumours that the mall was closing. Instead, then-owners Darton Property planned renovations, starting with redesigned washrooms. [6]

As of 2016, the assessed value of the property was $96,708,000. Woodbine Mall Holdings Inc. owed over a half-million in unpaid taxes that year. [7]

On May 2, 2023, Woodbine Mall Holdings Inc. was placed in receivership by Romspen Investment Corporation. Ernst & Young was appointed receiver. [8]

Fantasy Fair Amusement Park

Fantasy Fair
Woodbine Centre Fantasy Fair 2023.JPG
Fantasy Fair in 2023
Location Toronto, Ontario Canada
Opened1985
Attractions
Total9

Fantasy Fair is an indoor amusement park and the largest in Ontario featuring nine full-sized rides: [9]

The mall was used in the filming of 1987's "Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol", where David Spade is seen skateboarding through the mall.

The mall also featured in the Animorphs television adaptation's second season episode Changes, Part 2.

Various parts of the mall and Fantasy Fair also feature in 2021's 8-Bit Christmas

Various parts of the mall and Fantasy Fair are featured in Season 5, Episode 1 of television show What We Do In The Shadows (2023).

Various parts of the mall were featured in Shazam!.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carousel</span> Type of amusement ride

A carousel or carrousel, merry-go-round (international), Galloper (international) or roundabout is a type of amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders. The "seats" are traditionally in the form of rows of wooden horses or other animals mounted on posts, many of which are moved up and down by gears to simulate galloping, to the accompaniment of looped circus music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rexdale</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Rexdale is a neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located north-west of the central core, in the district of Etobicoke. Rexdale defines an area of several official neighbourhoods north of Highway 401 and east of Highway 427. Rexdale was originally a post World War II residential development within Etobicoke, and today is applied to a general area from Malton and Toronto Pearson International Airport in the City of Mississauga to the west, Highway 401 to the south, Steeles Avenue to the north, and the Humber River to the east. It is centred on Rexdale Boulevard and Islington Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lakeside Amusement Park</span> Amusement park in Lakeside, Colorado

Lakeside Amusement Park is a family-owned amusement park in Lakeside, Colorado, adjacent to Denver. Opened in 1908, it is the oldest amusement park in Colorado still operating in its original location, and is the lone remaining American amusement park to have had the name White City. The park, comprising nearly half of the Town of Lakeside that it was responsible for creating in 1907, features the landmark Tower of Jewels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Chicago</span> Shopping mall and indoor amusement park in Illinois

Old Chicago was a combination shopping mall and indoor amusement park that existed in the southwest Chicago suburb of Bolingbrook, Illinois from 1975 until 1980. It was billed as "The world's first indoor amusement park", and it was intended to draw visitors all year round, rain or shine. It opened to great fanfare and over 15,000 visitors on June 17, 1975, with an enormous building that housed major rides, such as three roller coasters and a Ferris wheel, as well as a turn-of-the-century-themed shopping mall with design reminiscent of the architecture of Louis Sullivan, such as his work for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. However, only six months after opening, the complex ran into financial troubles due to construction cost overruns. The opening of a competing amusement park in Chicago's north suburbs hurt attendance, and the lack of large anchor stores failed to draw enough local and repeat shoppers. Despite management changes, the center continued to lose money. By 1978, the mall began closing on Mondays and Tuesdays, and in early 1980 the entire amusement park shut down and the rides were sold, only five years after opening. Efforts to find alternative uses for the huge building failed, and the structure was demolished in the spring of 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casino Pier</span> Amusement park in Seaside Heights, New Jersey

Casino Pier is an amusement park situated on a pier, in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. The pier opened in 1932 and formerly extended approximately 300 ft (91 m) into the Atlantic Ocean from the narrow strip of the Barnegat Peninsula, including approximately six blocks within Seaside Heights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Park</span> Amusement park in California

Pacific Park is an oceanfront amusement park located in Santa Monica, California. The park, located on the Santa Monica Pier, looks directly out on the Pacific Ocean, in the direction of Santa Catalina Island. It is the only amusement park directly located on the West Coast of the United States located on a pier and LA's only admission-free park. There are a total of thirteen rides in Pacific Park, including the world's first and only solar-powered ferris wheel that provides a view of the Pacific Ocean and a roller coaster that circles the majority of the park. Pacific Park is also home to 14 midway games and over-the-ocean food and retail outlets. It has appeared in over 500 movies and television shows such as Fat Albert, Hannah Montana, Hannah Montana: The Movie, Kidsongs, 90210, Bean, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, as well as the popular video game Grand Theft Auto V. In 2020, it featured in the opening ident for the sky television channel Sky Comedy. It is operated by SC Holdings.

The Pike was an amusement zone in Long Beach, California. The Pike was founded in 1902 along the shoreline south of Ocean Boulevard with several independent arcades, food stands, gift shops, a variety of rides and a grand bath house. It was most noted for the Cyclone Racer (1930–1968), a large wooden dual-track roller coaster, built out on pilings over the water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Playland (San Francisco)</span> Amusement park in California, 1921 to 1972

Playland was a 10-acre (40,000-square-meter) seaside amusement park located next to Ocean Beach, in the Richmond District at the western edge of San Francisco, California, along Great Highway, bounded by Balboa and Fulton streets. It began as a collection of amusement rides and concessions in the late 19th century, and was preceded by Chutes at the Beach, opened in 1921. Playland closed Labor Day weekend in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles I. D. Looff</span> Danish carver and amusement park ride builder

Charles I. D. Looff was a Danish master carver and builder of hand-carved carousels and amusement rides, who immigrated to the United States of America in 1870. Looff built the first carousel at Coney Island in 1876. During his lifetime, he built over 40 carousels, several amusements parks, numerous roller coasters and Ferris wheels, and built California's famous Santa Monica Pier. He became famous for creating the unique Coney Island style of carousel carving.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clarence Pier</span> Pier in Portsmouth, England

Clarence Pier is an amusement pier in Portsmouth, Hampshire. It is located next to Southsea Hoverport. Unlike most seaside piers in the UK, the pier does not extend very far out to sea and instead goes along the coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centreville Amusement Park</span> Canadian childrens amusement park

The Centreville Amusement Park is a children's amusement park located on Middle Island, part of the Toronto Islands, offshore of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The park has been operated by the Beasley family since 1967, currently through Etobicoke-based William Beasley Enterprises Limited, on land leased from the City of Toronto government and is open daily during the summer. Beasley also operates the "Far Enough Farm" adjacent to the park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crescent Park Looff Carousel</span> United States historic place

Crescent Park Looff Carousel, also known as Crescent Park Carousel or more officially as Crescent Park Looff Carousel and Shelter Building, is a National Historic Landmark in East Providence, Rhode Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunnyside Amusement Park</span> Former amusement park in Toronto, Canada

Sunnyside Amusement Park was a popular amusement park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that ran from 1922 to 1955, demolished in 1955 to facilitate the building of the Metro Toronto Gardiner Expressway project. It was located on the Lake Ontario waterfront at the foot of Roncesvalles Avenue, west of downtown Toronto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carousel Gardens Amusement Park</span> Amusement park

Carousel Gardens is a seasonally operated amusement park located in New Orleans, Louisiana at City Park. It features many rides, including the Live Oak Ladybug Rollercoaster, a ferris wheel, a drop tower called the Coney Tower, and a miniature train that tours the park. It is also home to one of the oldest carousels in the US, also known as the "Flying Horses".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galeries de la Capitale</span> Shopping mall

Galeries de la Capitale is a shopping mall located in the Les Rivières borough in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal theme park</span> Combination of a theme park and a zoo

An animal theme park, also known as a zoological theme park, is a combination of an amusement park and a zoo, mainly for entertainment, amusement, and commercial purposes. Many animal theme parks combine classic theme park elements, such as themed entertainment and amusement rides, with classic zoo elements such as live animals confined within enclosures for display. Many times, live animals are utilized and featured as part of amusement rides and attractions found at animal theme parks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Looff Carousel</span> Carousel

Looff Carousels are carousels built by Charles I. D. Looff (1852–1918) a master carver and builder of hand-carved carousels and amusement rides in America. Looff, whose factory was based in Riverside, Rhode Island, is credited with making about forty carousels between 1876 and 1916, only about ten of which survive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort George Amusement Park</span> Former amusement park in New York City

Fort George Amusement Park was a trolley park and amusement park that operated in the Washington Heights and Inwood neighborhoods of Upper Manhattan, New York City, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It occupied an area between 190th and 192nd Streets east of Amsterdam Avenue, within present-day Highbridge Park.

References

  1. 1 2 "Woodbine Shopping Centre Rexdale". 24 February 2011.
  2. "Woodbine Centre: Project Overview". Marino. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Rides and attractions".
  4. "About Fantasy Fair".
  5. Jackson, Chris (13 October 2011). "A BOGOF offer from Inside Out you can't refuse". BBC News. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  6. "Woodbine Centre redevelopment in works", Toronto.com, 29 August 2008.
  7. "Properties with arrears greater than $500,000, owned by a corporation", City of Toronto, 2016.
  8. "Court File No. CV-23-00696329-00CL" . Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  9. "Fantasy Fair at Woodbine Shopping Centre". toronto4kids.com. Archived from the original on 13 October 2012.