Ice District grocery store opening pushed to 2022 due to pandemic
The opening of the Ice District grocery store has been delayed to 2022 thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Located at the old Greyhound bus terminal site in the city's downtown core, the 22,000-sq.-ft. Loblaws Citymarket on the corner of 103 Avenue and 103 Street was originally slated to welcome customers in early 2021, but those plans were put on hold after the pandemic caused disruptions to the construction schedule. Ice District spokesman Tim Shipton said construction had to be paused to ensure COVID-19 safety measures were implemented and only resumed again in the summer.
Shipton said the much-anticipated grocery store should be opened in the first few months of 2022.
“We are very pleased that we've been able to restart construction,” he said. “All of (2021) will be a year focused on the construction of Citymarket (and) of course, the flagship Icehouse sports bar. We're doing a bunch of work finishing work on the street that used to be 103 Street, which ran in front of the old Greyhound bus depot but now is just part of the Ice Plaza. Lots of construction is the focus for 2021.”
Shipton said steel construction is well underway and crews are currently laying the foundation for the building. He said they have been hearing from Edmontonians living downtown that a grocery store is a key amenity to living in the area.
The grocery store is part of a larger 25-acre development of the downtown district near Rogers Place by Katz Group, in partnership with One Properties. The project includes condos, a public plaza, entertainment and a hotel. The development reached a number of milestones this year, most notably in February with the start of the long-anticipated demolition of the Baccarat Casino.
The pandemic forced another change in plans when in October condos originally slated for the upper floors of Stantec Tower were converted into luxury rental suites.
Shipton said it's important to highlight that hundreds of millions of dollars are being invested into the city's downtown core, during a time when construction activity has slowed.
“As a private sector company, I hope the market understands that we're investing in our city at a time when it's not easy to invest anywhere,” he said.
“It's fair to say there have been delays. I think people will understand that the pandemic has been a challenge. We're really excited to complete the west part of Ice District and it really finished off Phase 1 of Ice District and adds those key amenities. We are assessing market conditions but we do have plans for Phase 2 as well.”