Q: I was wondering what is going in at 401 Richmond Road on the site of the old Heather’s…
Thanks,
Laurie
A: Thanks for your question Laurie!
Kitchissippi has seen so much commercial development along the main strip, and this is really just one example of some of the big changes we’ve seen over the years. One minute this space was home to a high-end consignment shop with a hair salon next door, and the next minute they’re both gone, only to be replaced with something else. It’s hard to keep up sometimes.
The building is owned by Domicile Developments. In a phone interview, Rick Morris, VP of Operations at Domicile, pointed out that the building in question is actually comprised of two buildings.
The eastern side consists of Piggy Market, which has temporarily closed its doors for a big renovation (you can get the scoop about that right here) as well as Dairy Queen and Kiddie Kobbler (who are sticking it out). According to Morris, this space was a Loblaws in the 1950s.
The western half used to be home to Heather’s, Changes Hair Studio, and more recently, Fooshin Jewelery & Watch Repair. Fooshin scooted up the street to a new storefront not that long ago. Today, the remaining space – which Morris says is about 5000 sq. ft. – is being completely renovated to become a restaurant. Morris says they’ve “had interest from a number of different players” and that no lease has been signed yet. So, there’s no word on what kind of restaurant is going in there yet. Sorry.
Whatever restaurant ends up in that location, it will have a brand new neighbour right beside it. 397 Richmond Road will belong to a new beauty bar called The Ten Spot, which is scheduled to open in the spring.
It’s worth noting that there’s also a basement in this building, which Morris speculates will probably become “some kind of fitness space,” perhaps a yoga studio.
Andrea Tomkins, Editor
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