During its construction from 1981 to 1982, the construction of the Rideau Centre is speculated to have been largely controversial and widely opposed by local residents & business owners, as a whole block of stores south of Hudson's Bay Company's "The Bay" on Rideau Street would've required demolishing, solely to make room for the new building, and vehicle traffic was most likely to increase substantially upon its completion. The Eaton's department store chain, one of the partners in the development, faced intense local opposition when it attempted to rename the mall the "Rideau Eaton Centre" while it was under construction, eventually backing down as a result of the backlash. The mall was officially opened on March 16, 1983.