Downtown St. Catharines has undergone a revitalization over the past five years. Through the combination of new art and entertained-based infrastructure and new multi-residential buildings, the consumer traffic in the area continues to grow. Downtown represents not only the business core of the city, but also an area for residents to dine, shop and enjoy entertainment.
Downtown St. Catharines is loosely defined by Geneva Street to the east between St. Paul St. and Welland Ave., and along Welland Ave to Ontario St. at the west. The south and west of downtown is backed by the 406 highway.
History of Downtown St. Catharines as a retail centre
The construction of the first and second Welland canals established downtown as a commercial hub and the popularity of local health spas turned the area into one of the cities most popular retail nodes. Department stores, hotels, bakeries and art houses populated the streets of downtown. Eventually, however, the popularity of the shopping mall drove a lot of retailers out of the core. Recently, with the establishment of new entertainment centric institutions, foot traffic is back and retailers are returning to meet demand.
St. Paul St., St. Catharines
St. Paul St. is often referred to as the ‘spine’ of downtown, as it is the longest street running along the southern edge of the 406 highway. This street includes a multitude of mixed-use commercial buildings, with retail, office and dining establishments lining the street level and office / residential units occupying the upper floors.
St. Paul includes an eclectic mix of retailers ranging from clothing and footwear to specialty retailers and from furniture and home retailers to jewellers.
Larger establishments along St. Paul that contribute to foot traffic include the Meridian Centre, One St. Paul St. office building, the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre and the MTO office building.
Other retail centres
The retail landscape of downtown is mostly concentrated along King St., Queen St., Ontario St. and James St. The many shops of the core are supported by the downtown BIA. Their efforts to promote shopping in downtown include monthly deals, seasonal dining, shopping weeks as well as other festivals and events.
Investing in Downtown St. Catharines
To help spur and guide development, the city of St. Catharines launched the website investinstc.ca. This site provides resources, research and site selection options to interested retail and commercial entities.
The revitalization of downtown continues with new streetscape and residential projects and new businesses occupying the core month over month. The popularity of the Meridian Centre and the PAC has created a demand in downtown for new dining and retail outlets; look to see old spaces renewed and vacant commercial spaces leased over the next couple of years.
