Is Tsawwassen Mills set for a fun-forward makeover and expansion?

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Liu’s real estate holding and development firm, Central Walk, acquired Tsawwassen Mills in 2022 as part of a rapidly expanding Canadian portfolio. Her entry into the Canadian market began with the acquisition of Woodgrove Centre in Nanaimo in 2020, followed by Mayfair Shopping Centre in Victoria in 2021.

In 2023, Central Walk revealed to Daily Hive Urbanized that it was in the early planning stages of a major refresh and expansion of the 2016-built Tsawwassen Mills, with a goal of shifting the mall’s focus more heavily toward dining and entertainment.

At the time, the company outlined ambitious plans to transform the shopping centre into a unique destination experience.

Key to this vision is a proposed 100,000-sq-ft dining and entertainment hub at Entry 3 on the southwestern end of the complex. Drawing from Liu’s heritage and her experience owning, building, and managing large-scale malls in China, the plans call for a diverse range of new Asian dining options, a 15,000-sq-ft elevated food hall, and an 18,000-sq-ft indoor children’s playground and learning centre.

Interior upgrades would also include immersive features like a 180-ft-long romance-themed “Lover’s Lane” and a large performance space with a built-in stage. Above it, a “mass-effect” LED ceiling system would simulate an artificial sky to heighten the visual experience for visitors. Other possible additions include a gaming arcade and interactive attractions.

But it is the never-before-seen conceptual artistic renderings — though still in very early stages — that may be the most revealing.

They paint a vivid picture of a mall reimagined not just as a place to shop, but as a vibrant, multi-sensory destination that blurs the lines between retail, entertainment, and community gathering space.

The conceptual visuals depict an extensively reimagined interior, infused with immersive public art and thematic design elements. These include Chinese-style lanterns and neon signage, possibly inspired by the vibrant streetscapes of Hong Kong and Shanghai.

“Lover’s Lane” appears to be envisioned as a mall corridor adorned with a dramatic floral ceiling installation, while other areas feature bold graphic treatments and colourful murals that enhance the overall experiential atmosphere.

Some other areas could also see additional First Nations art, as a nod to the landowner, the Tsawwassen First Nation.

One of the renderings shows a new outdoor plaza with food vendors, doubling as the main outdoor entrance into the new “Eat East Asian Street Food” dining hub wing of the mall.

A whimsical visual imagines a redesigned exterior featuring amusement-style attractions, including a Ferris wheel and a zipline — elements that may serve more as a conceptual mood board than concrete development plans, signalling the ambitious tone of Liu’s envisioned transformation for the mall.

No timeline has been publicly established for the proposed expansion and reimagination of Tsawwassen Mills. A media event initially expected for mid-April 2025 was anticipated to reveal more details about the mall’s future.

On a Chinese social media platform, Liu first publicly announced her intent in early April 2025 to acquire dozens of Hudson’s Bay stores. At around the same time, Central Walk also listed Woodgrove Centre, the largest mall on Vancouver Island, for sale.

Just before they began investing in Canadian retail properties, Liu’s Central Walk owned and operated major shopping properties in China. In 2019, Central Walk sold its namesake and flagship property, Central Walk mall in Shenzhen, to Hong Kong-based Link Real Estate Investment Trust.

While still highly conceptual, the renderings for Tsawwassen Mills’ potential future could provide a preview of the scale and ambition behind Central Walk’s broader vision for retail.

If even partially realized, the transformation of the mall into an immersive, experience-driven destination could serve as a blueprint for what’s to come across the company’s expanding portfolio of properties — especially the former Hudson’s Bay locations now poised for reinvention.

As brick-and-mortar retail continues to evolve, Liu’s approach reflects a growing shift in the retail industry: one that prioritizes immersive placemaking, cultural storytelling, and multi-sensory experiences over traditional shopping experiences.

While Central Walk holds freehold ownership of the Woodgrove and Mayfair malls (which both contain Hudson’s Bay stores), it possesses a 99-year lease for Tsawwassen Mills, which is located on the reserve land of the Tsawwassen First Nation. This long-term lease with the First Nation was originally established by real estate firm Ivanhoe Cambridge, which developed and opened the mall in 2016.

As the property is located on the First Nation’s reserve, any expansion and improvement plans would only require approval from the First Nation, rather than municipal government authorities.

The 1.2 million sq. ft. indoor mall complex — previously a sister mall of Ivanhoe Cambridge’s CrossIron Mills near Calgary and Vaughan Mills near Toronto — currently has over 200 shops and restaurants, including many outlet retailers. Its anchor businesses include Bass Pro Shops, a West 49 store with an indoor skatepark, H&M, Old Navy, Marshalls, Winners, and Pro Hockey Life. The mall’s Saks OFF 5th store has already closed as part of Hudson’s Bay’s liquidation proceedings.

The indoor mall building is configured as a looping oval, surrounded by over 6,000 surface vehicle parking stalls. Overall, the property sits on 107 acres of land.

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