Plug pulled on plan at Fort Edmonton Park
Plans for a hot sauna and steam bath filled Nordic spa at Fort Edmonton Park have gone cold.
Fort Edmonton Management Co. (FEMCO) has announced that it and the Edmonton Nordic Spa group had dissolved their partnership and the proposed spa project adjacent to Fort Edmonton Park will not be moving forward.
This item was set to be on city council’s public hearing agenda next Tuesday but has been removed.
“FEMCO leadership and the board are truly disappointed that our partnership with Edmonton Nordic Spa Group has dissolved,” Darren Dalgleish, the president and CEO of Fort Edmonton Management Company said in a Friday news release. “Both organizations worked hard to find commercially viable common ground, but in the end we could not make it work.”
Fort Edmonton Park is operated by the Fort Edmonton Manage- ment Company on behalf of the City of Edmonton, which owns the buildings, artifacts and land associated with the attraction.
Planning for the Edmonton Nor- dic Spa adjacent to Fort Edmonton Park began in May 2018, with the hope that a new Nordic Spa would be constructed next to the park and open in fall 2020.
“A lot of effort went into the discussions and planning around the spa,” said Hank Van Weelden, managing partner for the Edmon- ton Nordic Spa Group, which was the developer pursuing the project.
“We revisited our proposed plans and were not successful in find- ing a solution that had long-term sustainability for both organizations. We are disappointed that it has come to this but are pleased that we went through the process with FEMCO and wish them noth- ing but the best when it reopens to the general public in 2021.”
Edmonton Nordic Spa Group said it is committed to opening a spa in Edmonton and will be starting a process to look for another site.
“We truly wish for much success for the Edmonton Nordic Spa Group on their future endeavours,” said Dalgleish. “In the future FEMCO will be considering other options for the use of the land that extracts maximum commercial value, and support our efforts in becoming the best cultural tourism attraction in Western Canada.”