As that late summer suddenly turns to winter, we’re wrapping up two major projects here at SHIFT REI – Davis Dodge in Fort Macleod and Civic Square in Coaldale.
While we’re excited to announce the final few details of these major developments, we’ve also got our eyes fixed firmly on the future as we announce new acquisitions and builds.
Getting up to speed with summer
Our fall update builds on a variety of past projects, many of which are coming to a close as the year starts to wind down. If you want to catch up and haven’t read our summer update, you can find it here.
In that last update, we covered:
- Our recent expansion into Saskatchewan and Manitoba
- The purchase of 311 – 7th St and 610 – 30 St N
- Our sister company, Chinook Equipment and their purchase of Evcon
- Town of Coaldale 3P update with new tenants
- Davis Dodge Fort Macleod update
Coaldale Civic Square
As our first project in Coaldale, and our first private/public partnership, we’re very proud of the work we’ve done to design and build Coaldale Civic Square. If you live in Coaldale, or spend any time there, you’ve probably noticed the building looks pretty much complete.
Our contractors have been busy putting the final touches on the interior. But, we’re happy to say we’re rounding home on this particular project and ready to make a few major announcements.
Possession date set
With the completion in sight, we’ve set the possession date for the Town of Coaldale at November 1, 2022, and Westland Insurance plans to have their first day of business on November 14th. That means as of the beginning of next month, both the municipality and private businesses will move in and begin operating out of the space.
As both the developer and residents of Coaldale, we are looking forward to this grand opening for the Civic Square.
Building details
The building incorporates 19,407 sq/ft of space in total. The Town of Coaldale will retain ownership of 14,903 sq/ft, while 4,504 sq/ft will be rented out to commercial tenants.
The Town of Coaldale’s section of the building will include:
- Council Chambers on the main floor
- Administrative office space on the second floor
- A public atrium
- Meeting rooms (available for the public to rent)
For more information on how to lease out the last remaining commercial space, contact Chet.
For more detailed information on the building, read the blog post: Coaldale Civic Square – A New Centre Piece for the Downtown Core.
Be sure to keep an eye out for its grand opening announcement.
Davis Dodge in Fort Macleod
We are proud to announce that the new Davis Dodge Fort Macleod is in full swing. The team moved into the new building on Thanksgiving weekend and started doing business a couple of days later on October 12. Currently, they are planning to hold a big Grand Opening when the weather cooperates in spring!
As long-time partners with Davis Dodge, this project marks the continuation of our relationship and our first collaboration in the construction of an entirely new dealership.
Together, we’ve been able to match their new building perfectly to meet the current and future demands of the customer, including:
- A large, spacious showroom
- Ease of access for customers
- Excellent visibility and sight lines travelling both East and West in Fort Macleod
- Innovative technology and electric vehicle charging stations
Working with Davis Dodge to develop and build their new dealership in Fort Macleod has been a dream project. Both the General Manager, Ricky Sharma, and the Fixed Operations Manager, Lyndon Van Buren, have been great to work with throughout the build.
We are very excited to see how the team uses this new building to better service its customers and continue their contributions to the Fort Macleod community.
3510 5th Ave N
We purchased the former Williams Moving and Storage property a few years back and just recently finished the demo on the storage units when our sister company, Chinook Equipment showed interest. We pivoted our initial plan and we are ready to move forward with a new plan for the property.
When Chinook Equipment, bought Evcon Equipment, they outgrew their current building and began looking for a new space where they could grow to meet their potential.
With new brands in the company portfolio, more space is required in order to service all of their customers and the equipment that they carry. They also want to increase their exposure to traffic, as their current building is out of the way and sees little natural traffic.
Our property at 3510 5th Ave. offers the visibility they require, and the space to construct a bigger building that meets their growing needs. So we began working with the team at Chinook Equipment to define their wants for their brand-new, custom build. After taking the time to understand how we could help them with a custom build, we are now entering the design phase and hope to break ground on construction and lay the foundation before the end of the year.
The development will include a showroom along with a large yard to store Chinook Equipment’s growing fleet, including Vermeer, Versatile, Bobcat, Kioti and Hyundai.
NAPA Auto Parts - Pincher Creek Farm Centre
Chinook Equipment has also entered an agreement to purchase Pincher Creek Farm Centre. This deal closed November 1st, 2022, extending Chinook Equipment’s footprint across Southwestern Alberta.
To facilitate the move, we purchased the building from the Vanee family, which Chinook Equipment will continue to operate their business out of.
Chinook Equipment currently runs four stores across Alberta, including Leduc, Lethbridge (which will soon be upgraded to 5th Ave.), their original location in Taber, and the new one in Pincher Creek.
Pincher Creek Farm Centre previously held the New Holland agreement (which is no longer in place) and is well known for its Napa business, parts presence, as well as containerizing machinery for international sale. There is a natural synergy with Chinook which will bring its brands inclusive of Hyundai, Bobcat, Versatile, Vermeer, and Kioti. Chinook Equipment and Pincher Creek Farm Centre share the same values of integrity; teamwork; family and community. With the southwest corner of the province being prime geography for hay, small grains, and oilseed production, as well as cow/calf operations, this location is the gateway for easy access for our customers and the corridor to the East Kootenays for our mining customers.
Congratulations to Chinook Equipment on their recent expansion. We look forward to our continued and prosperous partnership as they expand throughout our beautiful province.
New Balzac purchase
On September 29, we purchased 4.54 acres of land in the Balzac business area of Calgary to develop. This marks our second property in the Calgary area and our expanding presence there.
We’re currently planning the development of the property, which we anticipate announcing in the new year.
Gershaw Terrace
We’re happy to announce our multi-unit complex in Medicine Hat, Gershaw Terrace’s latest addition to the 9-tenant building is the MT Nest Café. The new lease also includes a future patio space which the tenants are looking forward to spending their coffee breaks on next summer.
This bustling new café joins a variety of other vendors, including retail spaces, doctors' offices and a pharmacy.
525 Mayor Magrath Drive
The Spa at Olivine finished their fit-up this quarter and recently opened their doors to customers in a gorgeous new space. The Spa celebrated their grand opening on Sept. 28 as Salon Olivine, who they share a building with, celebrated their 1-year anniversary.
With its blend of luxury, wellness and technology, The Spa encourages a mindful approach to health, offering customizable and personalization services such as guided relaxation and meditation in the steam room or salt room.
Together, the salon and the spa offer a unique experience in Lethbridge, with a variety of self-care and luxury aesthetic services available in the same building.
We are excited to see how these businesses will continue to raise the bar for luxury and self-care in Lethbridge.
311-7th Street
We are happy that Intrigue Lingerie renewed their lease. We’d like to welcome Michele as a partner with Colleen in the business and look forward to working with them for years to come. They are currently doing some interior renovations and look forward to their fresh new look.
Crowsnest Pass Land
After interviewing possible candidates, we have selected Kasian as the architect to design the commercial space in the Crowsnest Pass. We are working closely with them on design, taking into consideration the location, weather patterns, local needs and tourism.
While there are many considerations and conversations to be had, we anticipate breaking ground in the spring/summer of 2023.
As we continue to move forward with this project, we will continue to update everyone via the blog.
Closing projects and moving forward
Over the past few years, we’ve been able to tackle interesting, influential projects right here at home and throughout Southern Alberta.
As we finish off these jobs and get ready to hand over the keys, we’re looking forward to pursuing new projects that expand our horizons, both geographically and in complexity, opening new doors forward as the old ones close behind us.