St. Catharines Downtown Association

A groundswell of investment in St. Catharines by the province's liquor retailer could signal hope for a new LCBO location downtown, says the city's mayor.

On Tuesday morning, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario opened its latest big box store in the Garden City at the power centre on Vansickle Road at Fourth Avenue.

The 10,200-square-foot store follows the opening of the large LCBO on Glendale Avenue in August, and scheduled expansions of the Fairview Mall and Lakeshore Road locations.

St. Catharines Mayor Brian McMullan said he hopes the liquor retailer's focus now shifts to the city's core.

McMullan has been lobbying the liquor retailer for years to close its aging store on King Street and open a location on St. Paul Street.

The city's main drag is expected to be part of Niagara's wine route soon, as well as home to a performing arts complex in coming years.

"We know the King Street store is one of the oldest stores in their system. I think that also presents an opportunity for us to look at possibly relocating that to the wine route and St. Paul Street area," McMullan said following the grand opening of the Vansickle Road store.

"Those discussions are ongoing and I'm sure will continue."

Walter Sendzik, a member of the LCBO's board, said the liquor agency is sure to take notice of ongoing changes downtown.

"St. Catharines is on their map, and I think it's been a long time since St. Catharines has been on the map of government organizations like the LCBO," said Sendzik, who's also general manager of the St. CatharinesThorold Chamber of Commerce.

Please see full story in St. Catharines Standard by M.Beech at: