The 1974 National Film Board of Canada documentary, Saskatoon: Land and Growth Control (available on nfb.ca) has the developers and City of Saskatoon Planning officials state the east side location was rejected primarily due to a lack of utility services and an abundance of undeveloped commercial space on the east side of the city, and the west side location was offered by the City due to there being a deficit of retail in that part of the city and plans being in place for extensive residential development adjacent to the substitute location in the short term. Indeed, development would occur in six neighbourhoods on all sides of the mall over the next decade, whereas residential development to the south and east of the rejected site did not begin until after the end of the century.
