The New Horizon Mall has gained a bad reputation since opening in 2018, with many Calgarians calling it the ghost mall.
If more stores were to open at New Horizon Mall, would it be able to compete with its daunting neighbour, CrossIron Mills?
Small business owners within New Horizon’s walls are hopeful.
“If there were more stores open that would mean more business,” said Amanda Kaywalchuk, owner of TFCTOYS.
New Horizon Mall opened in 2018 and since then has struggled to find its footing. Though there is room for 517 stores within the mall, only nine businesses were ready at opening.
The Torgan Group owns and manages New Horizon Mall. The property management company previously opened Pacific Mall in Markham, Ont. in 1997.
As of 2023, Pacific Mall houses more than 350 businesses, according to its official website, even though it opened with just a handful of stores. As such, there is reason to be optimistic about the growth of New Horizon Mall. But is that enough for the business owners to feel the same way?
“The price is definitely good and I like the units,” said Overtime Sports Cards owner Rob Veldhuzien. Veldhuzien has operated the sports card grading business for 20 years. It started as a webpage before he moved to New Horizon Mall.
Even with a lack of customers, a big reason why businesses choose that location is the low cost.
“For me, New Horizon Mall is the best place to start a small business because the rent is not that expensive,” said Joseph Revelar, owner of Rev’s Barbershop.
Revelar has seen some regular customers at his previous barber shops follow him to the current location. A recurring theme with some shops is having an established consumer base to carry them through slower times.
New Horizon Mall is trying to change the narrative from being a “ghost mall,” to a destination for small businesses to thrive.
