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Campbell River may be home to Winners

The clothing, shoe and accessories retailer is proposing to convert the former Super Valu

Winners wants to set up shop in Campbell River – a move that city staff say could inject more life into the downtown core.

The clothing, shoe and accessories retailer is proposing to convert the former Super Valu in Tyee Plaza.

The proposal is still in the early stages, but the city confirmed last week that it has received a development permit application.

“We have an application for a form and character development permit and (city) staff are in the process of reviewing it and then it can go to council for their consideration,” said Ross Blackwell, city land use manager, who couldn’t say if renovations would be required on the building. Blackwell also hasn’t received any indication of when construction could begin but did say the city received Winners’ application on Sept. 10.

“We expect to advance this as quickly as we can so people can get shopping,” he said.

Winners is known for its discount prices on brand-name home and apparel fashions. The retailer offers discounts of up to 60 per cent off designer clothing, which come in daily.

Blackwell said it’s encouraging to have a large retailer such as Winners invest in Campbell River.

“I think this is great news, it will attract more (people) into our downtown core,” Blackwell said. “It brings more vibrancy, it’s great for tourism; when folks come to visit our town they have more options.”

Winners is just the latest of a handful of new developments to come through the city in the past few months.

Seymour Pacific got the ball rolling with its April announcement that it would be tearing down a block of empty commercial buildings along St.Ann’s and replacing it with a new four-to-five-storey head office building.

Berwick Retirement homes then secured a development permit to build a seniors facility on the empty lot between McDonald’s and Banners restaurant, followed by developer Orla Jensen who plans to reinvent the old Willow Point Mazda into a new commercial space.

Rounding out the list is a transition house under construction downtown at the bottom of the  Dogwood hill, a 47-unit rental apartment complex at Merecroft and Dogwood, and, most recently, a shopping complex with a TD Canada Trust Bank and Shoppers Drug Mart at the corner of Hilchey and South Dogwood.

“Campbell River’s doors are wide open for investment and land development and we’re here to help that process as effectively and efficiently as we can,” Blackwell said.

If Winners does indeed go through with its development permit application, the new store would become the sixth location on the Island. There are currently Winners stores in Courtenay, Duncan, Nanaimo, and two in Victoria.