While residents may be happy to see construction moving ahead on the remaining commercial property of The Village, nobody is more excited than John Hawley.
The president of Traditional Neighbourhood Developments has been waiting a long time to see this last element, the Village Centre, coming together, with a boutique hotel now under construction, and a ground-breaking for a grocery store expected soon.
Foodland, under the banner of Sobeys, has announced plans to be open by December 2025, and the 60-room hotel as well as 42 accommodation rentals should be open by May, 2026, says Hawley.
That building will be four stories in the middle for the hotel rooms, he explained, “cascading down” with a terraced approach for three storeys of rental apartments.
It will not be part of a chain, he says, and will have an “upscale design, a great addition to Niagara-on-the-Lake.” A more detailed announcement about the hotel will be coming soon, he says.
In addition, there is room for about 20 retail stores, of various sizes up to about 2,000 square feet, but also including a few that could be quite small to attract “local talent” that would offer unique items visitors would enjoy taking home with them, he says.
The retail stores will also include a second storey for office space. “We’re convinced there’s a real need for that,” says Hawley.
“I wanted to be very careful with the retail, and it was important to finalize with Foodland first,” he adds. “It was very important for us to find a grocer that enthusiastically embraced our vision for the Village Centre.”
That included having New Urban architect and town planner Andrés Duany sign off on it, which he has. Duany's team became involved in development of The Village 30 years ago to ensure certain principles, including a walkable community and a mix of housing choices reflecting NOTL heritage, were followed.
Although Hawley had discussions with other grocery chains, they were proposing much larger stores in the neighbourhood of 25,000 to 30,000 square feet, “clearly what we’re not we’re going for.”
The Village Centre is unique, Hawley says, and Sobeys, under the umbrella of the Empire Group, which includes Longo’s and Farm Boy, was onboard with something different, with a design that works for The Village. They had “an enthusiastic response” to the need not only for a grocery store with a smaller footprint, but also for smaller trucks on Village roads coming to service it. That fit the Foodland model, Hawley says, with a store of about 14,300 square feet. They also agreed to a high ceiling as part of the design that makes it look like a two-storey building, fitting in with the the Garrison House, as well as the Shoppers Drug Mart and CIBC which have offices above.
“I’m thrilled that they caught the vision,” he says, and with that settled, he can move forward with the rest of the retail development.
“We’re looking for interesting, best of class, unique retailers, and a great cafe for everyone. It won’t be a chain. We’re looking for a certain kind of atmosphere, and of course great coffee.”
And Foodland will be unlike any other. “It’s taken longer than we thought it would, but it’s something we’re happy with. Sobeys is rolling out a next-generation Foodland, really a kind of rebranding for them, and offering a really great space. It will look very different and new for them, while respecting the Foodland logo, font and corporate colours.”
And while getting to this stage of the development has taken longer than expected, and required “really good collaboration,” Hawley says, he is excited to “finally being able to finish this off, and finish it well.”
Niagara resident Lindsey Bridgeman is also excited. Currently, the resident of St. Catharines is the manager at Sobeys in Niagara Falls, and she is fulfilling a dream to become not only a franchise owner, but also to be doing that in NOTL she told The Local.
“I grew up in a small community, and I’m really looking forward to becoming part of this community. It’s been my dream for a long time. Everything I do, I do 100 per cent. Giving back to the community, supporting the community, is my passion.”
The Village Foodland will have a great selection of local produce, a deli section, and prepared food and trays, “in line with the Foodland shopping excellence, a one-stop shopping experience.”
Bridgeman says she’s especially excited to be working in a new store, a “next generation Foodland with a brand new concept. It’s not every day you get a chance like that.”
