The Okotoks community of Alberta can officially say hello to D'Arcy Crossing, a new multi-building, open-air shopping centre -- something that's become increasingly rare to see across Canada.
Developed by British Columbia-based Anthem Properties at 258 Northridge Way (10 D'Arcy Ranch Drive), the D'Arcy Crossing shopping centre sits on a sprawling square lot bound by High Street and D'Arcy Rise.
The project was first announced in October 2021 and is the largest commercial centre in the region of Okotoks north of the Sheep River, home to approximately 60% of the Okotoks population.
Following Shopper's Drug Mart opening in late June, Safeway, the 47,000-sq.-ft anchor tenant of the shopping centre, officially opened on Thursday, completing the move from their former location on Big Rock Lane, about a 30-minute drive south.
The entire shopping centre will include nine detached buildings, with other tenants -- expected to continue opening throughout this year -- including a Dollarama, PetValu, Starbucks, Popeyes, Noodlebox, Tower Cannabis, Morning Brunch Co., D'Arcy Nail Salon, and a Core Education & Fine Arts Early Learning Centre.
A site plan of the D'Arcy Crossing shopping centre. (Anthem Properties)
Building C, on the northwest corner of the lot, will be two storeys, with the upper level housing eight office units between 1,200 and 3,000 sq. ft. According to a leasing booklet, dated July 2023, several of the smaller retail units and all of the office units are currently available to be leased.
The leasing team for D'Arcy Crossing consists of Jeff Pockett and Ashley Dundas at Anthem Properties, as well as Avison Young's Hani Abdelkader, Josh Rahme, and Morena Ianniello. According to Pockett, an official grand opening celebration of the shopping centre is not expected until 2024.
Describing the look and feel of the shopping centre, Anthem says that "the northern portion of the centre is an urban high-street which features plazas, patios and a two-storey missed use building with ground-level retail and professional offices above. All of the buildings are "cohesively tied together with modern ranch architecture, featuring clean lines and materials that speak to the community’s rich history, bringing an elevated look and feel to the shopping centre and adding visual intrigue to the area."
Renderings of the D'Arcy Crossing shopping centre in Okotoks. (Anthem Properties)
The D'Arcy Crossing shopping centre is part of Anthem Properties' larger D'Arcy master plan project that was first unveiled in September 2016 and remains underway.
READ: Anthem CEO Eric Carlson On The $10M CAC Deferral, State Of Housing Development
At full build-out, D'Arcy, which spans 280 acres in northern Okotoks, will consist primarily of single-family homes constructed by builders Anthem has partnered with, on lots of the buyers' choosing, including some "amenity lots" right along the D'Arcy Ranch Golf Club.
Future phases of the master plan are expected to bring multi-family projects, mixed-use projects, more commercial space, a school, and multiple parks.
