An iconic building on Whyte Ave. was finally purchased after sitting empty since the start of the pandemic. Those who’ve been on Whyte for years are hopeful this will bring new life to a street that was hit hard by COVID-19.
The former Army and Navy building — a fixture on Whyte Avenue for decades — which has been sitting empty since the company closed permanently just months into the pandemic. The plan is to redevelop the building.
“Because the businesses struggled for so long, a lot of them didn’t make it,” explained Kevin Petterson, the vice president of real estate at Leder Investments who are planning to redevelop the building.
Pettersen is excited to bring new life to the iconic Edmonton avenue, saying “I love Whyte Avenue for what it does for our city. I grew up here I grew up here. I’ve been down here tons of times, seeing the singers, it’s been a staple of Whyte Ave for years and we’re excited to bring new life to it.”
Petterson recognizes a number of businesses that closed during the pandemic have not re-opened, hopeful that having tenants in the 30,000-square-foot space will bring people back to one of Edmonton’s most popular streets.
Business leaders on Whyte Avenue tell CityNews vacancies on the street have actually been going down in recent years, but having a big empty space like the old Army & Navy building adds to the perception of an empty Whyte Ave.
“I think when it comes to big, huge retail buildings like that, they feel like there’s multiple vacancies,” said Cherie Klassen, the executive director of the Old Strathcona Business Association.
“Anytime you can fill a big space like that and then chop it up into smaller businesses. It creates opportunities for smaller businesses.”
Long-time business owners on the avenue say the purchase of the old Army & Navy building is not only a boost for that space, but for the businesses around it.
“Most of the pedestrian traffic occurs on the north side of the avenue, so businesses that are located on the south side of the avenue are less of a destination,” explained Mark Wilson, the Owner of Vivid Print.
“I think with the Army & Navy building being empty, it’s made that situation snowball.”