The demolition of the former ACAN Windows and Doors facility on Topsail Road in Paradise is nearing completion and residents should start to see some preliminary construction work begin early next month.
Once construction of the 80,000- to 90,000-square-foot retail plaza on the 600,000-square foot site is completed next spring, developer Roberto Di Giorgio of ALRE Properties says, “It should be the main commercial hub for the town of Paradise.
“As far as Paradise is concerned, the majority of the businesses that are going to be opening up on my project are new to the town,” says Di Giorgio.
“We’re not just copying and pasting from what’s existing.”
The current plan calls for up to 10 retailers — a mix of privately and corporately operated franchises — but the only confirmed type of business to date is a gas bar and convenience store.
Like the rest of the tenants set to occupy space in the $25-million facility, there’s a confidentiality agreement in place that prohibits revealing the particular brand.
“We’re not trying to hide things from anyone, it’s the normal course of business in this domain,” Di Giorgio said. “When we announce things, we’re going to announce them properly to make sure that everything is signed, sealed and delivered and there’s no maybes.”
What Di Giorgio can say is that it will resemble similar retail plazas in other Canadian cities, where you might see a pharmacy, a bank branch and retail stores co-existing in a commercial environment aimed at serving the community around it. As for food options, he says there will be a “very small component of restaurants.”
In addition to the new tenants potentially creating up to 150 new and part-time jobs, Di Giorgio is committed to making this a local project.
“We have not brought in anyone or anything from outside the province, it’s all being done through St. John’s. Our architects, our engineers, our environmental people, the demolition company … everyone is local.
“Being a good corporate citizen doesn’t mean flying in a whole bunch of people to take jobs and money away from local people that we hope will eventually be shopping at the centre.”
Further to ALRE Properties community engagement, Di Giorgio says the company will make a five-year commitment to one, maybe two, local charities.
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