It took 12 months. Yes, you read that right. From the time it was first talked about to the sign going up in the window, it took 12 months to say Za Pizza Bistro is coming to Osborne Village. Why? Who knows. But all of the buildings have problems borne of being many decades old. Electric, water, false ceilings, multiple layers of flooring, heating and cooling and the big one in the Village: landlords. Most of the landlords were once business operators themselves who transformed the community and led beloved stores and restaurants. Today, they own high rent assets that have seen little infrastructure improvement and newer entrepreneurs who look further down Osborne or Corydon or Sherbrook or Sargent.
A few things have happened though. Some landlords have sold their buildings and new landlords have arrived. Some new business people have come to revitalize once proud corners of Osborne Village with a new restaurant concept. A few gyms have opened in spaces deemed to big for stores but useful to a growing community where apartments and condos abound.
And then there is the cannabis stores. The deep pocketed cannabis stores have grabbed large retail spaces in the last year. That has left a few gaps where some new businesses see an opening. Some new immigrants have opened some ethnic restaurants that could be set to take off. Everyone you look there are opening soon signs.
However, where Second Cup once stood for many years, the first floor has been vacant and waiting for the the promise of a licensed pizza restaurant. Some said it would never come. And then the sign went up. Za Pizza Bistro Coming soon.
Osborne Village had a very successful Canada Day event. Moreover, since Assiniboine Park pretty much shut down at 7 PM on the big day, it left very few late night places to celebrate. The Forks did its job, of course, but Osborne felt like it was reaching a tipping point to being a busy, social and successful street once again.
At some point possibly in August, we might see very few vacancies for a few blocks. Some notable exceptions though…The Osborne Hotel remains closed and with no obvious work being done. What a waste for a place that lived on music, a busy beer vendor and restaurant and being the centerpoint to beer gardens to wrestling.
Yay for Za Pizza Bistro coming and hope it inspires a long overdue focus to do something with the hotel that doesn’t feel like a real letdown of what looks to be a bright future.
This has been a guest editorial by John Dobbin.
To read more from John, visit his blog Observations, Reservations, Conversations
