He bought a mall in decline. Now he wants to build 500 tiny homes on its roof

Gateway Mall in Prince Albert might soon have 500 modular homes on its roof. A Toronto-based developer bought the struggling mall earlier this year. He says his big plans for the roof come down to simple math. The roof was engineered and built to handle 700 cars. 700 cars and light trucks, they weigh around 3 million pounds. Our module weighs much less than that. The one-bedroom units would be about 330 square feet. Each would go for $1,000 a month, utilities included. Audrey Fai says the goal is to add more affordable housing in the city. The developers have met with the city, but still need to submit final plans to show what's up to code. I think anything's possible, it's just all the proper reviews and approvals have to be in place. It's an unexpected turn in the Gateway Mall's history. The shopping center was opened in 1981, just as malls were reaching their zenith. Now, it's much quieter, but Audrey Fai is undeterred. I didn't buy Gateway Mall to collect rent only. I bought it to reposition the whole thing, to actually turn it into a true hub for downtown of Prince Albert, for people to come shop, study, and live. The project is unusual, but one researcher says creative thinking like this might combat Canada's housing crisis. Federal policies have pushed for housing like this, denser and centrally located. Still, planning and geography professor Scott Bell says it stands out. Not crazy, but it's pushing the limits. He says modular homes are increasingly common, and so is building near a mall. But not so much on top of malls. However, he thinks it has merit. Increasingly going to be faced by many jurisdictions is existing infrastructure that's older, for lack of a better term. So a mall like this that has high vacancy, that isn't well used, is an opportunity. If all goes to plan, the best days for Gateway Mall are ahead. or above. Maeve Ellis, CBC News, Saskatoon.