A Change is Proposed.
Dragon Centre Mall Part #1
We are all too familiar in Toronto with Notice boards popping up across the city. As our city grows, we look to intensify developed areas and increase density. It can often come as a surprise to us when a building or site is suddenly ‘at-risk’ of changing. Places we love and have fond memories of, much like Honest Ed’s, can seem to vanish over night. For the Chinese community in Scarborough, and across the GTHA, Dragon Centre Mall is one such place.
Dragon Centre Mall
Dragon Centre Mall, the first Chinese mall of its kind, is located in the Agincourt South neighbourhood within Ward 23 of which 45% of the population is Chinese(1). Since 1984 when it was first adapted from an old roller rink by the Hung brothers of Shiupong Development, this mall has been an ‘Asian culinary hot-spot’ (2). For many Hong Kong natives immigrating to Toronto, this mall was one of the first places they shopped at. The food and culturally relevant shops continue to be a destination for diverse communities, providing a meeting place and creating a sense of belonging. “The mall … was the place to go to get Chinese herbs, traditional medicines and, of course, food. The food court and restaurant drew crowds for dim sum on weekends, weddings and Chinese New Year banquets.” (3)
Closing Time
In recent years however, business has not been quite as booming; many shops are either closing or on their last legs. With a thriving Scarborough China Town now established, and an even bigger retail core not far away in Markham, people are travelling elsewhere to find what they used to come to Dragon Centre for.
The land this mall is situated on has been scouted for a higher use, two 28 storey residential towers. The re-zoning application was received by the city in 2012 and the subdivision approval status has been under review since 2017(4).
For the past and present shop owners and the shoppers who remember Dragon Centre in it’s prime, this building is worth more than the value of the land. The Dragon Centre is a part of Chinese-Toronto heritage. Howard Tam, who grew up shopping here and happens to be an urban planner, acknowledges that the building itself is not something to be preserved, but the memories and experiences inside are. With this, Howard set out to explore:
‘How might we commemorate and build a community history of Dragon Centre?’
Continue reading to learn how he and his collaborators are doing just that.
References:
- City of Toronto 2018. Retrieved from: Ward 23 — Scarborough-Agincourt, City of Toronto Ward Profiles. https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/9743-City_Planning_2016_Census_Profile_2018_25Wards_Ward23.pdf
- Global News, 2019. https://globalnews.ca/video/5676739/the-history-behind-scarboroughs-chinatown
- https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/dragon-centre-mall-played-pivotal-role-in-community-soon-to-close-1.5309944)
- City of Toronto, http://app.toronto.ca/DevelopmentApplications/associatedApplicationsList.do?action=init&folderRsn=3103632&isCofASearch=false&isTlabSearch=false
- City of Toronto, 2017. Community Consultation Meeting. Retrieved from: https://urbantoronto.ca/forum/attachments/23-and-25-glen-watford-community-meeting-pdf.127807/
