Owen Sound Council feels no need to close the existing downtown LCBO when the new store at 9th Avenue and 16th Street East opens next year.
Council unanimously approved last night a motion to ask the LCBO to keep its longtime store open.
Mayor Deb Haswell will begin making the overture today.
The current store, on 2nd Avenue East next to the Beer Store, has been there for almost 50 years and Haswell says it should be retained.
She points out the city and its surrounding townships provide enough business to support two Beer Stores, and there’s no reason to doubt that there would also be enough business for two liquor stores.
Haswell says she also intends to point out to the LCBO that the city is pushing ahead with efforts to attract more people downtown, particularly to the harbour area, and so the current liquor store is still perfectly viable in terms of vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
She says this point has been made by a number of community members and organizations as well.
Haswell adds it wouldn’t be fair to residents who live west of Owen Sound to make them drive all the way through the city to patronize the LCBO.
The LCBO says it has outgrown the downtown location.
The new 12 thousand square foot store will offer greatly expanded product lines and services, including a large section devoted to Ontario wines, a chilled display area for beer, and even a giftware department.
The developers of the project have also announced they’re looking for tenants to occupy a second building to be erected on the property.
