A historic building in Calgary’s East Village will soon be home to three local restaurants – Charcut, Citizen Sidewalk Bakery and Phil and Sebastian Coffee Roasters.
All three are moving into the Simmons building.
The President of Calgary Municipal Land Corporation says the building has undergone several transformations with this being the latest.
Michael Brown says, “The Simmons was in its first life as a mattress factory. Its second life was really nothing – it was used as a storage area.”
But that’s about to change.
“We are turning it over to some tenants, and those tenants are going to be high-profile restaurant operators in Calgary. They are going to make that an active space and what it always should have been”, adds Brown.
A key part of the new Rivers district will be St. Patrick’s Island. The pedestrian bridge, slated to open soon, will link East Village with the island – giving it new life.
“Our focus then will be moving along on construction of the island”, says Brown.
“This is one of Calgary’s darkest spaces.. and its going from a drug haven where negative things were taking place to where it’s going to be a special place for all Calgarians and residents in East Village”.
The park is scheduled to open next summer.
The total price tag for the building, bridge and island redevelopment is $51 million.
And the restaurants moving into the Simmons building will be opening their doors by the New Year.
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