Details soon on The Stores: Goobie

By Mark Squibb | Vol. 32 No. 32 (Oct. 23, 2019)

Holyrood council is still holding close on the details regarding the town’s latest commercial development.

Construction of the new, 6,000 square foot building that will sit across from the combined Tim Hortons and Orange Store, is well on its way, and the developer has supplied all Occupational Health and Safety certificates, according to the town.

Rumblings about the new retail space have been growing since the demolition of the Superior Rubber Plant in 2015 and the construction of the coffee shop, gas bar and convenience store.

It’s all part of the Blue Ocean Innovation Valley project, launched by the Town in August of 2017, as a means to draw investors and businesses to the town.

Council says for privacy reasons, it is remaining mum on who will set up shop in the multi-tenant building.

“The building will house several businesses, which will soon submit business applications which will be considered at the council table,” said Mayor Gary Goobie. “At this point we cannot disclose who the tenant will be, due to confidentiality reasons. Once we receive an application, it then becomes public knowledge, and a process unfolds which provides for public input. For obvious reasons, many investors choose to keep their business proposals confidential until they’re ready to move forward publicly. As a council and staff, we have a responsibility to respect those wishes.”

Goobie did hint that council has one “ambitious file” in particular that it is engaged in with potential investors.

“But, unfortunately, I can’t expound on any specifics just yet,” he said.

All around, Goobie said, the new building under construction at The Stores is good news for the town.

“The development activity is very important to our town. It gives us a new tax base to use to provide services to our residents,” he said. “It also signals confidence in others who want to do business with us.”

And, it looks like it’s not the end of development.

“A second building, a 28,000 square foot building, will begin in the spring of 2020,” noted deputy mayor Curtis Buckle at the town’s Oct. 8 public council meeting. “The purchase sale agreement has been developed for the (land) acquired. Sometimes we forget to truly give value to the new business activity and the effects it has on our ability to expand our services.”