Cooper’s kicks off Garrison Village development
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Updated: June 25, 2009 4:57 PM
A keystone development in one of Chilliwack’s most ambitious retail and residential projects opened its doors Wednesday.
Cooper’s Foods, started just months ago in November, welcomed its first customers at a special opening in the heart of Garrison Village. A pipe band and colour guard from the nearby Royal Canadian Legion paid homage to the site’s military heritage.
“They said it couldn’t be done in Chilliwack,” said Randy Fasan, director of urban planning for Canada Lands, developers of Garrison Crossing on the former CFB Chilliwack. “Well, we’ve done it.”
Fasan told a large gathering at the opening that there was some doubt Garrison could support retail development so soon in its evolution.
The Overwaitea Food Group, managers of Cooper’s Foods, disagreed.
Store manager Darren Kuehn said the location was a perfect fit for Cooper’s, which prides itself on community involvement and environmental responsibility.
“Being part of such an innovative new project is exciting for us,” said Kuehn. “We think it’s great that the store is within walking distance from every residence in Garrison Crossing, which makes it easy for customers to pop by for their everyday needs.
“We’re a natural fit for Garrison Crossing because we incorporate responsible practices into every area of our business,” he added. “From sourcing earth-friendly products and conserving resources, to building energy efficient stores, the concept of green-living goes hand-in-hand with our vision for sustainability.”
The 28,000-square-foot food store anchors the new Garrison Village retail and residential district.
When complete, the village will offer more than 80,000 square feet of retail space. In addition, it will have 185 residential units, located above the retail shops.
“This is the wave of the future,” said Chilliwack mayor Sharon Gaetz, noting this was the first time Chilliwack had built a large-scale retail complex in the heart of a residential neighbourhood.
She said it will lessen the development’s environmental footprint by enabling people to walk to the shops and leave their vehicles at home.
This Saturday is the general grand opening for Cooper’s Foods. It also marks the opening of display suites in the residential portion of Garrison Village, located on the corner of Vedder and Keith Willson roads.
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