HUMBOLDT 鈥� Shoppers are going to see construction while doing business at the Humboldt Commons, as Stromiga Inc. is in the progress of converting the larger store section on the east into eight smaller commercial retail units.
Ron Benjamin, co-owner of Stromiga Inc., which owns the facility, said the decision to convert the large section formerly housing the Red Apple into smaller stores was based on the market.
Each space will be about 1,200 square feet.
鈥淲e thought it would be better just to build small stores, which has demand, than try to put the space up in the market,鈥� Benjamin said.
鈥淭his will be for smaller stores like take-out restaurants; service providers; an UPS store; or a small medical [business] like physiotherapist; barbershop; [or] nail salons.鈥�
This phase of renovations on the shopping centre, known as phase two, is expected to be completed this summer.
As part of the phase, two larger stores are being renovated on the shared inner vestibule hallway connected to the No-Frills. One space is planned to be 2,500 square feet and the other will be as big as 10,000 feet.
Benjamin said these spaces could include larger shops like trampoline businesses or thrift stores like Value Village.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e in the existing building and we鈥檙e just creating a shelf-space. Mostly what we鈥檙e doing is we鈥檙e renovating the shared vestibule that No-Frills uses,鈥� he said.
鈥淚t hasn鈥檛 been renewed in like 35 or 40 years, so we鈥檙e completely ripping that up and renovating it so that vestibule will be a lot more inviting, and then there will be two other stores that are accessed from that vestibule.鈥�
He said they are currently in negotiations with a commercial business about renting out one of the larger spaces, but details cannot be given at this time.
Phase three, which they hope to start before the end of the year, involves light industrial spaces on the back of the building such as plumbing supply companies. These are expected to be 2,000 to 4,000 square feet.
鈥淭hese aren鈥檛 retailers, they may be a fabricator or a service provider. Let鈥檚 say you have a plumbing supply company and you supply pipes and tools to the plumbing industry. You might rent a 2,000 foot space and put up racking in the back there.鈥�
Phase four will involve making a use for the space that was the back-half of what used to be Red Apple.
鈥淭here鈥檚 space behind that,鈥� Benjamin said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have firm plans for what phase four might be, but it could be livework suites or it could be self-storage, but there鈥檚 potential to develop that part of the building into other units too.鈥�
A phase five is being considered for the south east corner. Benjamin said this could accommodate any tenant which needs a drive-through such as fast food or an oil change.
鈥淲e owned this property for seven years and for us it鈥檚 a long-term development and a long-term hold and phase by phase we鈥檙e making it better and adding more services to the community.鈥�
