Penhorn Mall once stood where areas 1-4 are, my first real job was at Sobeys Penhorn as a parcel pickup monkey (good times)
Penhorn started off as a one aisle enclosed mall anchored by Woolco in the front and Sobeys at the rear, not long after it opened an L was added to accommodate the addition of a Famous Players, then added the same another L making a U shaped mall that was then anchored by Sears and adding a food court. Eventually Penhorn started to lose clients the biggest loss being when WalMart (formerly Woolco) pulled out to move to a new store in Dartmouth Crossing. Empire Theatres also amalgamated the acquired Penhorn 5 and Dartmouth 6 by superstore into the new theatre also in Dartmouth crossing. Penhorn Mall was torn down. a new strip was built and Sobeys Rebuilt at the front. The rear land is scheduled for residential development but that has yet to materialize. The land across Portland Street was also developed and a professional style strip mall is there. Lets go over what’s there today
Area 1: A small strip mall housing some of the former mall clients, Mark’s Work Warehouse and the wonderful Tattletales which can be best described as heaven for inquisitive and bright children, TattelTales has also had fund raising efforts with partners that have put nearly half a million dollars in books into the HRSB. The strip mall also had dental, medical and tanning and a Little Caeasrs.
Area 2: This is a Sobeys like there has always stood on these lands the new Sobeys has a Goodlife Fitness attached I was Kinda surprised when this Sobeys re-opened with 5 other stores in a 5km radius.
Area 3: Simply a free standing Sears, Sears says they have no intention for changes in HRM but this store always seems to be dead, I wonder how it survives.
Area 4: Is the area beside a once busy transit transfer point, is now being developed and a Sobeys Fast Gas is going in
Area 5: Pizza Hut, the Pizza Hut has jumped around this neighbourhood originally one on Tacoma and then a new one further out on Portland, then Tacoma closed and the one on Portland half sized only to open theis brand new one. Woodlawn/Woodside loves their Pizza Hut
Area 6: I s a professional centre with HSBC, The Co-Operators, Accounting, Day Care, Law Office, hearing centre and the office of MP Robert Chisholm