New store opens where an eyesore once stood
The grand opening of a new drugstore isn’t typically an event that attracts prominent city politicians and hoards of happy residents.
But on Saturday morning, Mayor Stephen Mandel, city councillors and many local residents attended the opening of a new Shoppers Drug Mart on 118th Avenue at 82nd Street. They were all there, not so much to ring in the grand opening, but to celebrate the end of a long battle to remove the derelict Cromdale Hotel.
It has been nine years since the reviled Cromdale Hotel was first ordered to be shuttered in 2004.
When it opened in the 1950s, the hotel was praised for its modernist architecture and considered to be a hip and elegant establishment. But the once trendy landmark became known as a breeding ground for crime, attracting prostitutes and drug dealers.
Now, traces of the seedy hotel have mostly disappeared. All that remains today is a small sign that reads “Cromdale Hotel” on the north wall of the Shoppers that now stands in its place.
For Mandel, the opening marks a significant success in the ongoing revitalization of Alberta Avenue.
“It’s exciting to see this neighbourhood coming back to life,” the mayor said. “Property values are going up. Families are moving in on an ongoing basis. People see this neighbourhood as one with a great future.”
The city has spent tens of millions of dollars on infrastructure in an effort to revitalize Alberta Avenue, Mandel said.
But Ward 7 city councillor Tony Caterina credits local residents for the Cromdale’s demise.
“The community has been the catalyst for this,” he said. “It was the residents that did the heavy lifting. They were vigilant in documenting all the issues and making sure the city was aware of what was happening.”
The new Shoppers has certainly brightened the area.
“The neighbourhood just got a bit safer,” said Ben Allen, who lives two blocks from the store. “You don’t have those dark corners any more where seedy crowds hung out.”
Jaylyn Prasad, who grew up one block away and was taught to avoid the Cromdale Hotel, especially at night, said this “was a scary place. It used to be an area that you didn’t want to even walk by. But now, things are finally changing.”
Caterina said the area was recently listed among the top five neighbourhoods in the city in terms of increased property value.
Looking up at the Cromdale Hotel sign in the new drugstore, Caterina said it will serve as a reminder of the how far the community has come.
“We’ll remember what the hotel was like in the 1950s, back in the days of Bob Hope,” Caterina said in reference to the American comedian. “But it also remind us that things are changing in this area. This is the direction we want the city to move in.”
Caterina said the city will continue its revitalization effort for Alberta Avenue, focusing next on the area east of 79 Street, particularly the Coliseum LRT Station.