D’Arcy Crossing, which will bring 150,000 square feet of retail and office space to the north end of Okotoks, Alberta, is starting to take shape.
The commercial component of the D’Arcy development, anchored by a 47,000-square-foot Safeway and a 17,000-square-foot Shoppers Drug Mart, is expected to open next spring, according to Isaac Beall, a senior director with Vancouver-based Anthem Properties.
Beall said about 70 per cent of the shopping centre has already been leased and he expects it will be very close to fully leased by its April 1, 2023 scheduled opening date.
In addition to the two anchor tenants, there will also be a 10,000-square-foot Dollarama, a 6,000-square-foot Safeway liquor store as well as a Pet Valu, Starbucks and Popeyes, among others.
Beall said they’re focused on lease agreements with larger format restaurants, but he wasn’t able to make any announcements at this time.
“It will be filled out with the smaller operators that come later, food service operators, doctors, dentists, hair salons, those kinds of things,” he said.
After stripping and grading of the site late last year and foundations installed throughout winter, framing is now being erected for the nine buildings that will surround a central parking lot.
“You’re seeing a whole bunch of steel going up on the site recently so now it’s very, very obvious it’s under construction,” Beall said.
He said the first buildings are expected to be completed later this year to give tenants time to make leasehold improvements prior to next spring’s opening. A two-storey office building on High Street will be the last to be completed, likely by June of next year.
Beall said the north end of Okotoks is underserved from a commercial perspective, so D’Arcy Crossing will provide amenities closer to many homes as well as cater to commuters returning from work.
Okotoks, a city of 30,400, is a 35-minute drive south of Calgary.
Beall said the new centre is a right fit for commuters.
“One of the things we really love about the site, and obviously the grocery store is critical for us, is that it’s the first right turn on the way home,” he said. “With many people working in Calgary, when you’re driving home and the grocery store is on your right, and your liquor store is on the right, and your drug store is on the right, and your fast food’s on the right, and your restaurants are on the right, it makes life really easy for people.”
