New deadline for Loblaw distribution centre in Cornwall

New deadline for Loblaw distribution centre in Cornwall
A new Loblaw distribution centre is set to be built in Cornwall's business park as shown in this photo provided by the municipality.

By Adam Brazeau 
CORNWALL, Ontario – Loblaw, the country’s largest supermarket chain, has until December 2015 to erect a distribution centre in Cornwall’s business park
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Loblaw Companies Limited has been given the green light (again) to set up shop on a 121-acre parcel of land in the Cornwall Business Park.

City council gave the company an extension on their agreement of purchase and sale with Boundary Properties, owner of the land located between Tenth Street East and Industrial Park Drive, following the passing of a bylaw at their regular meeting on Monday.

The revised agreement stipulates that construction has to begin by December 2015, and that the distribution centre (DC) must be up and running by December 2016.

The DC has been in the works since late 2010, but Loblaw had to wait until it completed its acquisition of the Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation, which finalized in late March, to assess the need for operating both centres.

“They spent millions of dollars on that site, and Loblaw is a very reputable company – they’re not in the business of wasting time, they’re doing this for a reason,” said Mark Boileau, the city’s economic development officer.

The original agreement of purchase and sale with Boundary Properties expired in 2013.

Boileau is confident the project will be completed since Loblaw has already levelled out the land, built a storm water retention pond, sanitary sewers, and a water system through the site.

“Loblaw couldn’t legally speak company to company about their operations, so for months they were not really sure how having a DC for Shoppers would be beneficial,” he said.

The Cornwall Business Park is located in the eastern part of Cornwall, immediately adjacent to Highway 401. 

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