Construction delays have pushed back the opening of the new Hole’s Enjoy Centre, but major events scheduled for the facility will not have to be delayed.
The 242,000-sq.-ft. centre will house the company’s existing greenhouse business as well as several boutique stores, a cafĂ© and a spa. It was supposed to open in November.
Bill Hole, general manager and CEO of Hole’s Greenhouses, said they wanted to have the new centre open for Christmas, but knew all along it would be a tall order.
“We had hoped to be open around Christmas, to have our Christmas store operating in there, but we knew that was a big request,” he said. “We always had in the back of our minds that we weren’t going to be able to do that.”
He said despite the delays, he is really pleased with the quality of the work going on at the site.
Hole also said the delays won’t have an impact on two major events in the facilities banquet space that will go ahead as planned.
The first event, Sparkle, a fundraising dinner for the Alberta 55-plus winter games, will go ahead on Nov. 20 and will be the first major public event for the facility.
In addition to other events in December, the facility will also host a gala fundraiser for the 150th anniversary committee in January.
Hole said there might be a need to have extra staff on hand at the early events, but they can certainly still go ahead.
He added getting ready for the events has actually been partly responsible for some of the delays, saying preparing for the gala events pushed back construction.
“That is not the most effective for keeping yourself on time, but we have to be ready for the event on the 20th and some events in December.”
Hole said the facility is going to slowly open to the public in phases before the grand opening, which he expects will still go ahead next April.
In addition to the greenhouses, spa and café, there will also be a wine store.
Hole said other tenants for the boutique retail space in the facility are being finalized and he expected to be able to make some announcements in the weeks ahead.
“We have some groups who are going to be doing some kiosks in the place, but we are still working on getting those details in place.”
Hole said once construction is finished they will have to work out the details of how to move everything from the existing facility on Bellerose Drive to the new centre, but they have already started to work out some of the logistics.
“We are doing it at a time when we are not as busy and we won’t have to move as much.”
The facility was estimated to cost $25 million as of last year, but the Hole family has been quiet about what the final cost will be.
