What Is Going on at the Oshawa Centre? Here's What We Know So Far

If you've driven past the Oshawa Centre recently, you've probably noticed something looks a little different.

The old Sears building is gone. Westmount Public School has been demolished. There's a lot of open space where two familiar landmarks used to be, and naturally people have been wondering what comes next.

A post shared by Oshawa Ward 5 Councillor Brian Nicholson has given us our first look at what could eventually be built there. Before we get too excited, it's important to remember this is simply a proposal that has been submitted to the City. It hasn't been approved yet, and like most developments, there's a good chance parts of it could change before anything is built.

If you're not familiar with the area, the Oshawa Centre is the city's largest shopping mall. The land being discussed sits along King Street West where the former Sears store stood for decades. It's one of the biggest redevelopment opportunities in Oshawa, so whatever eventually gets built there is going to have a major impact on the surrounding neighbourhood.

The proposal shows four residential towers. Two would be 22 storeys, while the other two would be 18 storeys. They would sit on top of six storey podium buildings with landscaped courtyards between them. The plans also include new walking paths, public gathering spaces and a park along the eastern edge of the property.

At first glance, that might seem like a lot of buildings in one place, but this is becoming a common approach across Ontario. Cities are trying to build more homes without continuing to spread farther into farmland. Large shopping centres already have roads, transit, water, sewer infrastructure and nearby businesses, making them ideal locations for higher density housing.

In many ways, shopping malls are being reimagined as complete communities. Instead of being somewhere people simply drive to, shop and leave, the goal is to create neighbourhoods where residents can walk downstairs for groceries, grab dinner, meet friends for coffee or catch a bus without getting in their car.

That doesn't mean this project is a done deal. It still has to go through the City's planning process, which includes technical reviews, public consultation and council decisions. Some developments end up looking very similar to the original concept, while others change quite a bit before construction begins.

Whether you support more housing or have concerns about traffic and density, there's no denying this is one of the biggest redevelopment proposals Oshawa has seen in years. It's also another reminder of how quickly Durham Region continues to evolve.

For now, all we have is the concept plan, but after years of wondering what would replace the empty Sears building, we finally have an idea of what the future could look like.

I'd love to know what you think. Is this the right use for the property, or would you have preferred to see something completely different built on the site?