Simmons site to become culinary hub
Built in 1912, the historic Simmons Building is about to be reborn as a culinary mecca in the redeveloped East Village.
Calgary Municipal Land Corp. announced its selection of tenants for the site Wednesday, selecting three local food and beverage companies to occupy space in the fast-changing community.
A building that once manufactured bedding for Second World War soldiers is about to be reborn as a culinary hub in Calgary’s redeveloped East Village.
On Wednesday, Calgary Municipal Land Corp. — a wholly owned subsidiary of the City of Calgary — announced its selection of tenants for the historic Simmons Building.
Built in 1912, the former mattress factory is a city landmark located on prime riverfront property, and a major element in the East Village revitalization master plan unveiled in 2009.
After interviewing dozens of the more than 40 applicants who submitted expressions of interest, the CMLC selected three local food and beverage companies to occupy space in the century-old building. Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters, Sidewalk Citizen Bakery, and Charbar — a new restaurant concept by Connie DeSousa and John Jackson, the chefs who created CHARCUT Roast House — will be opening in the spring of 2015. CMLC president and CEO Michael Brown said the organization chose tenants it believes will not only bring people and life to the neighbourhood, but also understand the East Village vision.
“They were attracted to East Village because they saw the opportunities here. ... And their personality suits the personality of our community,” Brown said. “They also understand the significance of the Simmons Building. This is the jewel of our community and it has to be treated well.”
The CMLC — which will retain ownership of the building — will continue its renovations over the next year, working with architectural firm McKinley Burkart and Stuart Olson Dominion Construction. After that, the new tenant group will move in and undertake their fit and finish work.
Eventually, the building will include a sidewalk patio and a rooftop terrace with views of the Bow River.
DeSousa said she and her fellow business owners are excited about the opportunity.
“Our vision for the Simmons is that we’re creating a hyper-local sense of business, where all of our businesses are feeding off of each other,” she said. “It’s a huge responsibility, coming into this building — to make it the anchor of this community and give it the energy this community deserves.”
The opening of the Simmons Building’s new businesses will take place at the same time residents will be moving into the 396 new condos currently under development in East Village by Embassy Bosa and FRAM+Slokker.
It will also coincide with construction of a major urban shopping centre. RioCan — which develops, owns, and manages a variety of urban and suburban shopping centres across Canada — has purchased a 2.75-acre site formerly owned by the Calgary Police Association. Bounded by 5th and 6th Avenue and 3rd and 4th Street S.E., the site is slated for 300,000 square feet of retail space and will likely include a grocery store.
So far, the East Village redevelopment project has attracted more than $1.1 billion of planned investment to the neighbourhood, including the National Music Centre, the new Central Library, a Hilton Hotel project, and major mixed-use devel- opments which collectively account for 1,200 new residential homes for the area.
The CMLC has also made significant investments into flood-proofing the East Village. The land and roadways around the Simmons Building have been raised up several feet over the last few years, and as a result the majority of East Village infrastructure and new condo construction suffered minimal damage during June’s flood.
The St. Patrick’s pedestrian bridge project — which will connect Memorial Drive and East Village — did sustain damage. The bridge was in its final stages of construction, but is now not expected to open for another year.