Medicine Hat's downtown mall - Arcade Plaza - on Third Street was constructed in 1968 with bricks manufactured locally by Medicine Hat Brick and Tile. The three-level office complex and mall combination boasts a spiral staircase and is currently owned by Navneet Bhui, seen in this photo.--NEWS PHOTO
There are some Hatters that will tell you the Arcade Plaza downtown used to be the “mall” before there were any others in town.
Three floors of stores and offices with bright sunlight streaming down the spiral staircase is a distinguishing characteristic, plus a wide range of bricks as a decorative feature inside the plaza on Third Street SE.
Those bricks were made locally by I-XL Ltd. – known at the time as Medicine Hat Brick and Tile Co. Ltd.
Malcolm Sissons of I-XL says many documents about this particular building were unfortunately destroyed in the 2010 Cypress County flood.
“I-XL had the building designed to demonstrate the many uses of brick,” said Sissons. “I suspect the designer was probably Russell and Needham Architects, who had been used for other projects by I-XL, and Jim Needham was related by marriage to the Sissons family.”
In 1968 the News recorded the construction of the first store/office complex surrounding a mall for Medicine Hat. The building’s dimensions would be 99 by 113 feet, located next door to the Handy Confectionery. There would be 15 stores at the basement and ground levels, with nine offices on the top floor. Construction began that November and by the fall of 1969 there were advertisements for new stores opening in the “mall.”
Arcade Barber and Beauty Salon was one and Mademoiselle Shoes another. Dentist Pauline Haven had set up her practice in the Arcade Plaza by the end of 1969. At the same time the Royal Bank moved in temporarily while its own building was being constructed.
“At the time, shopping centres were beginning to pop up but in the 60s, downtown Medicine Hat was still the centre of town,” said Sissons.
The open centre concept of Arcade Plaza was unique at the time.
“… although not very space efficient it was, and is quite dramatic,” said Sissons.
The whole concept for Arcade Plaza was the “brainchild of I-XL,” whose principals at the time were Gordon, Jack and Tom Sissons. It was partly intended as a demonstration project for all the brick products manufactured at the time, said Sissons.
For many years Arcade Plaza was operated by I-XL but was then sold at some stage.
Navneet Bhui purchased the building in about 2017. He says many are not aware of the views afforded from the offices on the top floor and there are currently vacancies in the building. One of the newer tenants is the Country Crumb Bakery and Cafe.
Hatters may remember that the offices of the former local Member of Parliament LaVar Payne were in this building about 12 years ago before being moved to Kingsway Avenue shortly thereafter.
