Downtown Edmonton welcomes long-delayed Loblaws City Market

garretschoenbergNovember 9, 2022

The drought in downtown Edmonton’s grocery stores is easing.

long-awaited Loblaws City Market opened Wednesday Ice District Plaza 104 Street NW near 103 Avenue NW two years late Due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While planning the Ice District development, CEO Stu Ballantyne said a grocery store was identified as the top amenity that could be added to make downtown a more livable place.

“We couldn’t be happier to see the doors officially open at the ICE District Rob Rose City Market,” he said in a news release. “We know this has been a much-anticipated opening for our residential and office space tenants, and we look forward to continuing to offer best-in-class experiences and services to Edmontonians as the ICE District continues to evolve and grow. I have.”

Oliver has a few stores, Lucky 97 in Chinatown, and Save On Foods on the west end of downtown, but before Wednesday there were no grocery stores east of 109th Street — an area of a city often called food dessert.

A 2015 study found that the city center needs at least four more major grocery stores, including one on Boyle Street and Rossdale, in addition to the three already planned, including Loblaws. At the time, there was also hope for a new grocery store to fill the gap left by the closed Sobeys at 10404 Jasper Avenue, but no replacement.

The new two-story, 22,000-square-foot City Market is located on the site of the former Greyhound Bus Terminal. It is part of a 25-acre downtown development by Katz Group and One Property that includes Rogers Place, Stantec, JW Marriott, Grand Villa Casino, restaurants and bars, and residential properties.

lboothby@postmedia.com

@lauby