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The Kingston Centre is an open-air retail plaza at 1040 Princess Street in Kingston, Ontario, serving as a neighborhood shopping destination. Originally an enclosed mall opened in 1955 and demolished in 2004 due to declining viability, the redeveloped site now features approximately 200,000 sq ft of retail space anchored by Loblaws supermarket, with additional tenants including a pharmacy, bank, and service providers.
The tenant mix focuses on convenience and daily needs, with limited fashion or entertainment options, reflecting a shift to essential retail post-demolition. Positioned on a high-traffic arterial road, it benefits from proximity to residential neighborhoods and Queen's University, drawing local and student shoppers. Kingston's retail landscape is competitive, led by the enclosed Cataraqui Town Centre with over 100 stores and higher draw, while strip plazas like this one capture routine grocery traffic.
Demographics include a city population of 132,485 (2021 census), median household income of $62,300, and a young demographic with 25% aged 20-34 due to university influence, supporting steady but seasonal demand.
Accessibility via major roads and public transit is adequate, with 800+ parking spaces, though congestion on Princess Street can hinder flow. Occupancy stands at around 90%, with recent vacancy from Canadian Tire's departure creating leasing potential. Rents average $25-35 per sq ft NNN, below enclosed mall levels of $40+.
Operational quality is functional but shows signs of aging infrastructure, with maintenance needs potentially increasing costs. Market factors include 5% retail vacancy citywide, grocery category strength amid 3% annual sales growth, but risks from e-commerce (15% market share) and nearby big-box saturation. Advantages lie in low entry barriers for small-format tenants and loyal local patronage; drawbacks encompass limited footfall growth and competition eroding non-grocery sales.
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Hours of Operation
Hours
| Monday | 07:00 AM — 10:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 07:00 AM — 10:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 07:00 AM — 10:00 PM |
| Thursday | 07:00 AM — 10:00 PM |
| Friday | 07:00 AM — 10:00 PM |
| Saturday | 07:00 AM — 10:00 PM |
| Sunday | 07:00 AM — 10:00 PM |
Hours may vary on public holidays. Check with individual stores for specific holiday schedules.
Insights
Demographics and Footfall
Kingston's population totals 132,485 residents, with a median age of 40.7 and household income of $62,300, bolstered by 27,000 Queen's University students driving seasonal spikes in convenience spending. The plaza sees estimated daily footfall of 4,000-6,000 visitors, primarily grocery-driven, per local traffic counts on Princess Street (25,000 vehicles/day). This supports stable performance for anchors but limits expansion in discretionary categories, where student budgets average $1,200/month constrain higher-end retail viability. Compared to citywide averages, footfall is moderate, influenced by proximity to 50,000 residents within 5 km radius.
Competition and Tenant Mix
The tenant mix emphasizes essentials like grocery (Loblaws, 80,000 sq ft) and services, with 15-20 units occupied at 90%, per commercial listings. Competition from Cataraqui Town Centre (1M sq ft, 95% occupancy, 8M annual visitors) and RioCan Centre (big-box anchors like Home Depot) diverts fashion and leisure traffic, resulting in weaker non-food sales. Market reports note Kingston's retail saturation at 25 sq ft per capita, above national 22 sq ft, pressuring mid-tier tenants. Strengths include complementary positioning to enclosed malls; weaknesses involve outdated aesthetics reducing dwell time and cross-shopping opportunities.
Lease Terms and Risks
Leasing terms typically span 5-7 years on NNN basis, with base rents of $28-32 per sq ft and CAM fees of $9-11 per sq ft, aligned with strip center benchmarks from Colliers reports. Advantages for lessees include flexible small spaces (1,000-5,000 sq ft) and high visibility. Risks encompass infrastructure aging (built post-2004 redevelopment), potential $500K+ capex for upgrades, and access challenges from traffic congestion (peak delays 10-15 min). Economic factors like 4.5% unemployment and inflation (3.2%) heighten turnover risks, though grocery resilience mitigates overall vacancy to 7% citywide.
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Kingston, ON
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City Snapshot
Kingston, ON
Comprehensive market intelligence for retail expansion in this city