A high-profile figure in Edmonton is hoping to bring some considerable business into the city’s center in the near future.
Lauren Kyle McDavid, the wife of Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, says she’s closing in on opening her new project inside downtown’s Canada Permanent building, which has been renovated to hold a new bar, an office space and a furniture showroom.
In an interview with CTV News Edmonton, Kyle McDavid said she hopes she can open Bar Trove and Trove Living by mid-May.
“I think there’s been a lot of progress made,” Kyle McDavid said. “We’re excited to continue with that progress.”
Kyle McDavid admitted that the plan of putting her venture into the 115-year-old landmark has had its share of challenges – trying to preserve the historic aspects of the structure with modern amenities.
“There are hoops to go around with the historic committee, signage, putting in HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning). All of those are interesting hoops to run through, but really, the biggest thing for us is just keeping the historic feel while making it feel fresh and new.”
Executive director of the Edmonton Downtown Business Association Puneeta McBryan admits that having someone like Kyle McDavid attached to a project with the goal of growing business downtown is a big step.
“To see someone with Lauren’s vision and plans come in and make that investment,” McBryan said. “And turning it into something that looks like it’s going to be absolutely spectacular, is really exciting for our downtown.”
Kyle McDavid acknowledged that, since Rogers Place opened in 2016, Edmonton has been trying to turn the core of the city into more of a destination for locals and visitors alike.
” I think the city is slowly but surely just trying to keep working on making it more of a hub and making it more of a walkable space,” Kyle McDavid said. “Finding new locations that make it more walkable and more friendly and more of an enjoyable place for people who are visiting and experiencing Edmonton for the first time.”
If things go according to plan, both for Lauren and her husband Connor, the establishment will open up right in the middle of a deep run for the Oilers during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Currently, Edmonton (44-226-5) is third in the Pacific Divsion, five points back of the first-place Vegas Golden Knights.
