Airdrie foodies rejoice in expanded food offerings at Cross Iron Mills
Residents of Airdrie are minutes from Cross Iron Mills, one of the largest indoor shopping malls in Alberta. Due to the popularity of the complex, it was deemed necessary to upgrade and enlarge the food court after just seven years in operation. It took two years of planning and now the food court has now reopened as Food Hall. Cross Iron Mills recently celebrated it’s grand opening with a variety of new offerings at the new Food Hall which is located close to the theatres.
Renovated at a cost of $600 million, there is now room for 1,400 patrons which is 29% more seating than what was available in the old food court facility, which has been closed. The 46,000 square foot space where the old food court used to be will be overhauled to create space for more retail clothing stores. It should be ready next year. The decision to redevelop the Food Hall and create more retail space was made just before the bottom fell out of the oil sector in our province.
Three of the new vendors at Cross Iron Mills’ Food Mall is Popbar, Chachi’s Sandwich Bar and Big Smoke Burger. Many of the older favourites popular with Airdrie shoppers are Jimmy the Greek, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and the always reliable Subway.
From an environment point of view, the new Food Hall is better space for vendors with better waste disposal facilities including recycling for organic waste and cooking oil.
The creation of this new Food Hall space adds to the attraction of Cross Iron Mills, creating a destination experience for Airdrie residents and Calgarians who like to make a trip to the mall a whole day affair. Residents of Airdrie are less than a kilometre away. Calgary shoppers are invited to use the Shopping Shuttle offered by Cross Iron Mills this summer only, with door-to-door service from the Calgary Tower or from the Calgary Airport. Round-trip tickets are $15 and kids aged 5 and under ride for free.
About Cross Iron Mills
Hailed as one of the most fascinating shopping malls in the West, CrossIron Mills was built in 2009 in Rocky View County south of Airdrie to serve a trading area of about 3.5 million residents. It is 1.12 million square feet in size with more than 200 stores and services. The entire mall covers 674 acres. Built by Quebec-based Ivanhoe Cambridge, it was built at a remarkable time when shopping districts were a popular alternative to shopping malls. It is in fact the largest one-storey shopping mall in the province.
Cross Iron Mills was built to reflect Alberta. The design features, the architecture and the “neighbourhoods” throughout the indoor space. There are six themes evident showcasing Alberta’s stunning geography, like the Fossil Neighbourhood with a kids play area. There is a mother’s nursing room and strollers can be rented at the information centre for a nominal cost. Cross Iron Mills honours Alberta landmarks and culture icons including our sports heroes.