A mammoth transformation of Toronto's Bayview Village shopping centre just took a big step forward with the September 3 closure of the mall's north parking lot.

New buildings will be joining an ongoing overhaul of the 440,000-square-foot mall — the largest since its 1961 opening in the then-city of North York — in an ambitious project to transform the site from a car-centric suburban shopping centre into a street-focused complex where people live, work, and, most importantly for owners, shop.

The mixed-use redevelopment led by partners bcIMC and QuadReal Property Group will replace parking lands surrounding the mall with new retail and residential space to help ensure the mall's long-term vitality in a climate where mall demolitions are much more common than expansions.

Following a years-long process of planning, appeals and permitting, the first visible step in adding new residential density to the site came this week when one of the mall's parking areas was shuttered to customers.

The mall issued a news release last week advising customers that "effective Tuesday, September 3, our north parking lot will be closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic," redirecting them to the south lot.

"Bayview Village Shopping Centre will remain open for the duration of the construction on the north side of the property," reads the release.

The parking area closed off on on the third will be redeveloped into a mixed-use complex that will feature mid-rise residences and buildings framing an outdoor retail promenade with shops and restaurants.

Additional development will eventually follow on the southern parking lands, with high-rise residential buildings also to be anchored by new retail fronting Sheppard Avenue East with an integrated connection to Bayview station on the TTC's Line 4.

Toronto shopping mall is getting a massive makeover with new shops https://t.co/bpbISWW4Ci

— blogTO (@blogTO) May 25, 2024

Once all is complete, the undertaking is expected to have produced three six-storey mid-rises and towers of 30, 29 and 20 storeys, respectively.

Meanwhile, changes are in full swing within the mall with new retailers to open in the coming months, including high-end Japanese concept Ju-Raku toward the end of 2024, and national breakfast chain Pür & Simple, expected to open their fourth Toronto location at Bayview Village in January of 2025.

The most recent major change within the mall came back in mid-August, when its Pusateri's location was shuttered along with almost all others operating by the luxury grocer following a surprise bankruptcy announcement.