International Plaza and Bay Street are slated for a significant redevelopment under Simon Property Group, including a 50,000-square-foot open-air exterior expansion designed to create a more walkable outdoor shopping experience showcasing global brands.
If that sounds like “a mall, but with fresh air,” congratulations, you have decoded the pitch. The plans also call for a reimagined Bay Street, with enhanced al fresco dining and new gathering space, plus a full interior refresh with new finishes, upgraded amenities, and the kind of “curated hospitality experiences” that usually translate to nicer seating, better lighting, and fewer reasons to sit next to a charging station that smells faintly like pretzels.
The timing is tied to a corporate milestone: Simon took full ownership and control of leasing and management after acquiring the properties from Taubman Realty Group in November. In other words, the keys have changed hands, and the new owner immediately started rearranging the furniture, but at a scale where the furniture is 50,000 square feet and the instruction manual is a press release.
Simon executives have framed the push as a long-term bet on high-growth markets, with Eli Simon talking about strategic redevelopments that keep these centers modern. The company says construction is expected to begin in sometime in 2026, with tenant announcements later.
The bigger backdrop is that the Westshore District is in its reinvention era. Nearby Westshore Plaza has approved plans for a major redevelopment, and leaders are selling a simple idea: make these places destinations, not pit stops.
So no, the mall isn’t going away. It is becoming even more itself: shopping, dining, people-watching, and soon, outdoor strolling like you are on vacation, except you are five minutes from the airport and still somehow buying a candle you didn’t need.
