Edmonton business on Fort Road closes after series of problems – Edmonton
Thirteen years ago, Nancy Chekowski opened My Grandma’s Attic on Fort Road in Edmonton. Chekowski was convinced of a plan to turn the neighborhood into a mini Whyte Avenue, but it didn’t happen.
“It could have been beautiful, but it’s not,” she said.
“No one wants to come here, because let’s face it, it’s a dump.”
Love is not enough. Chekowski said she faced several issues, including theft and vandalism. Once she even chased a thief after he left her store.
“It was a stainless steel ring, it wasn’t a million dollar ring or anything, but the fact that he thought that because I was in a wheelchair and I was an old woman, i’d let him off the hook, well, it took me 30 seconds to chase him down the street and he gave me back my ring.
Above all, the ongoing road construction at Fort Road has also resulted in a decrease in customer base.
“People would call me and I would try to tell them how to get here, but they never showed up because they couldn’t figure it out.”
When the landlady announced she was selling the building and would include a condition to continue the lease, Chekowski decided she had invested enough time in this area and it was time to close.
“She was selling and I was thinking maybe that was a sign it was getting really tough,” Chekowski said.
“I lost money every year, never made a dime but loved it.”
The city said in an email to PKBNEWS that there are several initiatives to improve the area, particularly along the Fort Road corridor. The Balwin and Belvedere communities were approved for the neighborhood revitalization program in June 2018.
The city worked with these communities to identify elements of the revitalization strategy. Community members shared their priorities for roads and parks. The city puts these priorities into practice through the funding of capital projects.
Under the program, five parks and three roads were prioritized for revitalization. Other major projects in the area include Station Pointe and the widening of Fort Road.
Chekowski stressed that she saw no benefit from it. My Grandmother’s Attic will officially close on Monday, September 11.
“It’s going to be hard. I practically dedicated my life to it.
© 2023 PKBNEWS, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
