The new owner of Windsor’s old Hudson’s Bay store plans to tear down the vacant retail space and replace it with a redesigned entrance to Devonshire Mall. Primaris Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) announced this week it bought the vacant HBC site, but has given no details on what shoppers can expect to see in its place.
Purchase and Demolition Plans
Primaris REIT, which owns the rest of Devonshire Mall, purchased the former Hudson's Bay property for $4.5 million in a deal that closed on June 5, 2026. The company stated in an update to investors: “Primaris plans to demolish this space and redesign a new mall entrance.” The company has not revealed an intended timeline for the demolition.
This fate is far different from many other vacant Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) stores across Canada, which are undergoing redesigns and redevelopment. Primaris now owns 10 former HBC properties with a total of more than 1.2 million square feet.
Redevelopment Strategies
Primaris COO Patrick Sullivan said in a media release: “We have made substantial progress advancing our leasing and redevelopment initiatives across the portfolio, including the former HBC spaces, where a significant majority of space is now leased or in advanced negotiations.” He added that the substantial leasing completed will deliver very attractive returns with strong rental rate growth, while enhancing traffic and tenant mix across shopping centres.
For most of those properties, the priority is to execute long-term leases with single-tenant and multi-tenant configurations when possible. A second strategy would be to subdivide the spaces to accommodate multiple large format tenants or other high-value commercial retail units. But in Windsor, the plan is demolition.
Context of HBC's Decline
HBC, founded in 1670, was the oldest corporation in North America. The iconic Canadian brand became a casualty in the long decline of the traditional anchor department store amid the proliferation of online shopping. The failing company began liquidating its stores in March 2025, and the Devonshire Mall location shut down in June 2025.
The local HBC closure followed the demise of the Sears store at the opposite end of Devonshire Mall in January 2018. That empty Sears store was demolished in the summer of 2024, and SportChek and Mark’s Work Warehouse now stand in the redeveloped space.
No Further Details
Property manager Aaron Edwards said Thursday he cannot comment. Primaris CEO Alex Avery did not respond to a request for comment. Apart from stating it will design a new mall entrance, the company has given no details on what shoppers can expect to see in its place.
