A historic building that has been boarded up for the last six years will soon be revived as what developers hope will be a vibrant destination on Whyte Avenue. The building that housed the Army and Navy on the corner of 104 Street and Whyte Avenue has been empty since the business went under during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 15,000-square-foot space was then used for temporary events like seasonal markets, until it was purchased by Leder Investments for $2 million last year. “We hope to bring as much vibrancy as we possibly can,” said Leder’s vice president of real estate Kevin Petterson, “This is the key type of ingredient that a neighbourhood like this needs – smaller uses, fresh spaces, opportunities to bring that life.” So far, the basement has been claimed by Anytime Fitness. There will be space for three to five other tenants on the main level. “Ideally, there will be four small tenants along Whyte Avenue … We want that to be front-and-centre,” said Petterson. “The potential for us is maximizing the vibrancy … that’s our whole goal.” While there is no fixed time on when businesses will open as they continue to seek tenants, Petterson is hopeful they’ll be full within a year. “By the time a deal gets papered, finalized, leases signed, construction’s completed, actual occupancy happens, there’s like a six-month window,” said Petterson. “Our hope is that introducing it to the market is going to have us in a place where people want to be here.” With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Miriam Valdes-Carletti
