Popular roller skating pop-up told to vacate Oshawa mall to make way for redevelopment

A pop-up roller rink that has been operating out of the old Sears location in the Oshawa Centre for more than 15 months has been given its termination notice and been told to vacate by January 25 to make way for a redevelopment of the site.

SUSO Skate owner/founder Henry O’Brien said the Oshawa Centre location has been its longest running and busiest pop-up since it opened in August of 2024.

“We expect December and January to be busy, as people seek indoor family-friendly activities during the colder, snowier months. We’re asking people to book early to avoid disappointment,” O’Brien said. “Nothing confirmed for our next move yet but we hoping to have something lined up by January.”

Oshawa Centre, which opened as a shopping plaza in 1956 and was enclosed a dozen years later, is the largest mall in Durham Region, with then-owner Ivanhoe Cambridge holding a grand opening for a $230 million expansion in 2013.

The mall was sold to H&R Real Estate Investment Trust subsidiary Primaris REIT (along with a 50 per cent interest in Southgate Centre in Edmonton) for $585 million in January in 2025.

The new owners have been quiet about its plans for the former Sears location – phone calls and emails were not returned – but residential may be in the future after Oshawa Council approved zoning changes around the property this summer to allow for more housing projects with building heights as high as 22 storeys.

Council is hoping to “prioritize” intensification and higher-density mixed-use development in the area with the relaxed guidelines, which include reduced parking requirements.

Economic and Development Services Chair Tito-Dante Marimpietri said in June the city has been “actively working” with representatives of the Oshawa Centre to “modernize and optimize” their footprint to include a “vital” housing component.

“This will help to inject tens of millions into our local economy and provide for thousands of good-paying jobs while assisting current and prospective tenants, attracting new investment, and most importantly, secure the housing needs of our city.”

“The activation of this massive site will transform our city and our entire region.”

The Sears store closed in 2018 with the liquidation of Sears Canada operations and the site sat vacant until Suso Skate moved in during the summer of 2024, with the popular pop-up earning a one-year extension in April.

That extension was cut short with the termination letter.

“We have received notice from the Oshawa Centre that we will have to vacate our beloved space. The former Sears has always been up for redevelopment and unfortunately, the time has come sooner than we expected,” O’Brien said in message on Suso’s socials. “Believe us, we’re as disappointed as you are, but this comes with the territory of being a pop up – we’re here for a good time, not a long time.”

“Thank you all for making it such a success. We will be looking for our next location to call home.”

SUSO Skate Co. (short for summer solstice) was born during lockdown as a way to transform underused or vacant spaces into community places where people are active and having fun.

The company had successful pop-ups in former big box stores in Brampton, Cambridge, North York and Toronto as many as 10 locations at one time, including venues at The Bentway and the Shops of Don Mills in Toronto and Pier Eight in Hamilton – as well as a mobile van that brings the skate party to you, from community events and birthday parties to school skate days and corporate events.

Oshawa is the only one remaining right now, with last year’s lease extension the company’s first time operating an indoor location for an entire summer.

“We pop-up and transform unique, underused spaces with the goal of creating good vibes and memorable moments for the communities who skate with us,” O’Brien said. “Less screen time for kids and adults alike is surely a good thing, right?”