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Tim Hortons to open in 2016

Canada’s most popular coffee and donut stop is expected to open its doors in Black Diamond in less than a year. Jaymont Developers principal Jason Williams anticipates Tim Hortons restaurant will be open in September 2016.
Jaymont Developers posted a sign last week advertising Tim Hortons’ upcoming arrival and the opportunity to lease property on the site. The Calgary developer expects
Jaymont Developers posted a sign last week advertising Tim Hortons’ upcoming arrival and the opportunity to lease property on the site. The Calgary developer expects the popular donut chain to open in September 2016.

Canada’s most popular coffee and donut stop is expected to open its doors in Black Diamond in less than a year.

Jaymont Developers principal Jason Williams anticipates Tim Hortons restaurant will be open in September 2016.

Site preparation work is scheduled to begin this fall and construction of the restaurant will take place in the spring and continue throughout the summer, said Williams.

“It will be a good location for Tim Hortons,” he said of Black Diamond. “It will be good for the residents as well as for the highway traffic and tourism.”

The Calgary developer purchased one and a half acres of undeveloped land on the corner of Highway 7 and 3 Street NE to construct a Tim Hortons restaurant after Black Diamond Town council voted 4-3 in late 2014 to change the land-use bylaw in the district to allow drive-thru services on the site.

Ten months prior, council approved changing the property’s land use rules to allow retail and personal service businesses, but not drive-thru services following concerns expressed by the public at an earlier public hearing.

Some residents were concerned a drive-thru would go against the Town’s green initiatives with vehicles idling while waiting for service.

They also expressed concerns that a popular chain store would take business away from small businesses, which make up the majority of the commercial sector in Town.

Jaymont Developers returned to council following its initial decision, requesting once again for a drive-thru service.

In its request, the developer addressed citizens’ idling concerns, saying the Tim Hortons restaurant would have two drive-thru ordering stations and two lanes to reduce wait times and congestion.

Rod Ross, the Town’s planning and development officer, said since council changed the property’s land use bylaw to allow a drive-thru for the property almost a year ago several members of the community have been asking when construction will begin and when Tim Hortons will be open for business.

“There’s definitely interest in the community with Tim Hortons coming,” he said.

The development permit for the restaurant was issued in the summer and includes a number of conditions required of Jaymont Developers, Ross said.

They include work at the intersection of Highway 7 and 3 Street NE including a left turning lane for eastbound traffic, painted crosswalk and sign on the highway, modifying sidewalks to allow for wheelchair accessibility to the intersection and a short sidewalk leading from the northeast corner of the intersection onto the property.

Black Diamond’s economic development and events manager sees an economic benefit to Tim Hortons opening in town.

“It’s going to increase employment opportunities in our community,” said Quinn Page-Smith. “I would think with some of the types of hours that Tim Hortons holds it would create some more options for the youth in our community for employment right here in town.”

She said Tim Hortons is known for supporting communities and looks forward to the opportunities it will provide Black Diamond.

“Tim Hortons is very well known for their community involvement and having a vested interest in supporting community initiatives,” she said. “That is something our youth need, we all need, so that will be welcomed.”

The Tim Hortons restaurant and parking lot will take up less than half of the 1.56 acres purchased by Jaymont Developers, and the remaining land is available for lease, said Williams.

“We will try to get some pre-leasing on the remainder of the property,” he said. “Once we get tenants in place we will build for them. It’s going to be more retail in nature that fits with the land use for that property.”

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