CTV News Edmonton has reported:

The former Army and Navy building at 104 Street and Whyte Avenue is beginning to welcome tenants, with developers aiming to turn the long-vacant property into a lively destination. The basement has been leased to Anytime Fitness, and the main floor can accommodate three to five more businesses.

The historic, 15,000-square-foot space had been boarded up for six years after Army and Navy closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was later used for temporary events, including seasonal markets, before Leder Investments bought it last year for $2 million.

Kevin Petterson, Leder’s vice-president of real estate, said the company hopes to bring activity to the neighbourhood through smaller businesses and new spaces. “We hope to bring as much vibrancy as we possibly can,” he said. “This is the key type of ingredient that a neighbourhood like this needs - smaller uses, fresh spaces, opportunities to bring that life.”

Petterson said the company would ideally secure four small tenants along Whyte Avenue, placing them prominently on the main level. “Ideally, there will be four small tenants along Whyte Avenue … We want that to be front-and-centre,” he said. “The potential for us is maximizing the vibrancy … that’s our whole goal.”

There is no set opening date as Leder continues to look for tenants. Petterson hopes the building will be fully occupied within a year, noting the process from finalizing a deal and signing leases to construction and occupancy can take about six months. “Our hope is that introducing it to the market is going to have us in a place where people want to be here,” he said.

CTV News Edmonton’s Miriam Valdes-Carletti contributed to the report.