This is Part 2 of a two-part feature about the Whyte Avenue area before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Read Part 1 here.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Whyte Avenue was an area full of energy. People came to enjoy the nightlife, window shopping, dinners, brunch and coffee shops.
Like everywhere else, the area was forced to pivot when the pandemic hit.
Restaurants were no longer packed with laughing and eating, retail stores had to limit how many people could come inside at a time, and it seemed there were more “for rent” and “for sale” signs popping up in windows.
The Old Strathcona Business Association has certainly seen a shift, but also says the effects of the pandemic aren’t as drastic as it feared.
The loss of about 10 per cent of businesses in all of Old Strathcona was much lower than anticipated, executive director Cherie Klassen said.
“They can easily pivot and they’ve probably shifted their business model six or seven times.”
A business in the area that has shifted several times is Sugared and Spiced, a small bakery in the alley off 83 Avenue and 103 Street. After several pivots, Jeff Nachtigall, one of the directors of the bakery, says things are looking up for them.
“I think we do a really good job of the things that we do and and we keep looking forward to the future.”
Part of that future is a revitalization of the alley in front of Sugared and Spiced.
Plans show pavement reconstructions, LED lighting upgrades, greenery and seating areas.
“We have been advocating to the city for revitalization of the alley between 103 and 104 Streets north of Whyte for a few years, as businesses have started to front the alley and need an accessible path to their businesses,” Klassen said. “The Backstreet project is a result of that work and we are excited to see it moving forward.”
The fundraising committee has applied for a grant that will be combined with city funds. Phase 1 of construction is set to start in the spring.
For Nachtigall, it’s a perfect fit with his business.
Just around the corner from the site is the newly renovated Strathcona Hotel, or The Strat, as it’s affectionately called in Edmonton.
The hotel was closed in the fall of 2018 and underwent extensive renovations. On March 29, the doors opened again as Leopold’s Tavern opened its first location in Edmonton.
General manager Malcolm Rabb said there was one thing that drew them to Whyte Avenue, despite the struggles in the area.
Though brand new to the area, Rabb has been talking with other business owners and sees the turnaround happening on Whyte Avenue.
It’s optimism that Nachtigall shares. He feels Whyte Avenue is integral to Edmonton.
“Whyte Ave will always be Whyte. It’s not a fake destination. It’s the heart of the city.”
Mark Wilson, co-owner of Vivid Print, echoes the sentiment. He says part of what makes the area unique is the relationship between business owners.
“It is a real sense of community on Whyte Avenue.”
But Wilson knows there are still some struggles facing those on the avenue as the world opens back up. Those who don’t want to change how they do what they do may have a harder time bouncing back.
That will work to the area’s benefit, though, he said. It has always been known for smaller, funkier shops.
But for the formula to be successful, he said, landlords are going to have to look at their business models differently.
Wilson said his landlord has been really understanding during the pandemic, which has helped his retail store weather the storm better, but feels landlords are going to have to look at what they charge for their spaces moving forward.
“Even some of the national chains who ran their shops here ran them as loss leaders.”
“I think there’s room for it all.”
Summer 2021 plans
Last summer, extended patios were installed for a number of restaurants and the city closed the north lane of the avenue to vehicle traffic to allow more room for pedestrians, as well as places for people to sit and visit safely during the pandemic.
The idea is coming back for summer 2021, but this time the change will be seen on both sides of the street.
The space for pedestrians likely won’t be as big this year. Klassen said the avenue will likely be working with just the curb lanes on both sides.
The business association will also be working with the city to make moving between the sidewalk and the street more accessible, as well as different structures to make it safer.
The business association is looking at ways to make some of the summer changes a more permanent feature in the future.
The city couldn’t say when construction on the extended sidewalk project would begin, but extended patios are already in place at some restaurants along Whyte Avenue.
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