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(Posted
9:30 p.m., Oct. 3)
Future Landsdowne restaurant, retailers revealed
By
Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online
The
city's finance and economic develop.m.ent committee gave
it's blessing to the Landsdowne Park redevelop.m.ent project
on Monday, all but clearing the way for construction to
begin early next year.
The
project must still receive a final blessing by city council
on Oct. 10, but that is expected to be a formality as
a majority of the councillors have already said they support
it, including all three east end councillors.
A
great deal of preparatory work has already been on the
site in anticipation of council's approval. The construction
work will actually be done in phases. Construction on
the stadium and parking garage is scheduled to begin in
June. Work on the multi-use retail space won't begin until
January, 2013, followed by the urban park which the will
be the final phase.
The
project is expected to cost $250 million, $130 million
of which will be spent by the city on the stadium, the
urban park and its share of the parking. The Ottawa Sports
and Entertainment Group is covering the cost of the retail
space and residential condominiums.
The
hope is that the stadium can be completed in time for
the start of the 2014 CFL season.
The
retail space will include a 10-screen Empire Theatre Complex;
an LCBO outlet; a Sporting Life store; and a Whole Foods
store. On Tuesday, OSEG revealed they had reached agreements
with four restaurants, two of which are based on the west
coast.
The
Joey
Restaurant Group has 17 locations in B.C., Alberta
and Washington State, and recently opened three locations
in Toronto. They bill themselves as "the best in
premium casual dining".
"We
are about exceptional food inspired by little out-of-the-way
places from all over this big planet." it states
on their website. "Inside, our restaurants take you
to a place that’s lively, luxurious and never pretentious.
Outside, our patios take you on vacation."
South
Street Burger has locations throughout the Greater
Toronto Area. Their slogan is "Better Beef Makes
Better Burgers" The chain is unique in that they
purchase their beef from small local co-ops that do not
use antibiotics or growth hormones and contains no preservatives
or filler.
Il
Fornello is another Toronto-based restaurant chain
that specializes in wood-fired, oven baked, Neapolitan
style, thin crust pizza.
OSEG
partner Roger Greenberg from the Minto Group assured members
of the committee that retail space will be devoid of any
box stores, as had been feared by some, and would not
resemble a suburban mall.
"It
will be totally unique retail experience," said Greenberg,
Sporting
Life will be the largest retail tenant in the new
commercial space at roughy 40,000 sq ft. The Toronto-based
store sporting goods and clothing store specializes in
high-end clothing, footwear and athletic gear.
The
stores and restaurants unveiled on Monday will comprise
45 per cent of the 360,000 sq. ft. of retail space proposed
for the the redeveloped park. The remaining space will
be filled with small locally owned businesses.
Once
it's completed, the newly-redeveloped Lansdowne Park will
attract between eight and 10 million visitors a year.
(This
story was made possible thanks to their generous support
of our local business
partners.)
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