# CrossIron Mills

CrossIron Mills is a fully enclosed shopping centre development just outside the northern city limits of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and immediately east of the hamlet of Balzac in Rocky View County. It was developed by Ivanhoé Cambridge, a major Canadian real estate company. Completed in August 2009, the mall is the largest single-level shopping centre in Alberta, containing approximately 109,440 m$^2$ (1,178,000 sq ft) of retail and entertainment space. Century Downs Racetrack and Casino is nearby to the east.
The first tenant to open in the mall was the first Alberta franchise of Bass Pro Shops, which opened its doors in the spring of 2009, while the rest of the mall was under construction. The majority of the mall opened on August 19, 2009. A final phase initially referred to as The Entertainment Neighbourhood opened in Summer 2010. In the mid-2010s, this final phase was reconfigured to house a relocated food court (branded the "Food Hall"), with the original food court being redeveloped into new retail space.

## Location

CrossIron Mills is located in Rocky View County, on the southeast corner of the QEII Highway (the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor) and Highway 566.
As of July 2007, when the City of Calgary expanded its boundaries, this places the property just outside the city limits, as well as just outside the hamlet boundaries of Balzac (Highway 566 links to 176th Avenue N.E. in Calgary). The southern city limits of Airdrie are only a few kilometres to the north. When driving north on the QEII, there are two exits that provide access; Exit 273 (CrossIron Drive) and Exit 275 (Highway 566).
Additional access to the mall via Dwight McLellan Trail, an extension of Calgary's Métis Trail, north from Stoney Trail opened in December 2009. On October 29, 2011 an extension of Métis Trail was completed allowing direct access to the CrossIron Mills area from the Métis Trail/36 Street N.E. corridor, allowing an alternate north/south access to the area to Deerfoot Trail.

## History

Starting on January of 2015, the mall was planned to be expanded, which would include an entirely new food court. The first phase of this plan started during the spring of 2016. The new food court offered 1,400 seats and 24 restaurants. As part of the mall's commitment to sustainable development, the new food court also contained more green space, improved kitchen exhaust hoods for reduced energy consumption and improved recycling amenities. The new expansions added 4,272 m$^2$ (45,980 sq ft) of new retail space. Among other things, the new expansion included a new Victoria's Secret, Shoppers Drug Mart, and Milestones Grill and Bar, and a renovation to the Sport Chek. The old food court was converted into a Skechers Superstore, a Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store, an Aritzia, an Aerie, and a Sephora

## Design

The shopping centre follows the Mills Corporation's premium brand outlet retail format that was popularized in the United States, and imported to Canada in 2004 at Vaughan Mills in Vaughan, Ontario. The concept combines large format anchor stores and premium brand outlets alongside major entertainment components.
The design utilizes a single level "race track" layout to maximize storefront exposure, with up to 17 anchor stores bordering the centre.

## Gallery

* Fashion Neighbourhood
* Fire sculpture
* Clock inside the mall
* Fossil Neighbourhood
* Sport Neighbourhood
* Mall in 2011

## Reception

CrossIron Mills opened to large crowds, with approximately 250,000 people visiting the mall in the first five days of the Grand Opening Celebration.