Harbour Centre’s Food Court vendors have been served eviction notices
By Amara Janssens
Photo courtesy of DA Architects + Planners and SSDG Interiors Inc.
On April 1, 2013 construction will begin to renovate the 35-year old Harbour Centre Complex. The redevelopment will focus on revitalizing the street façade and expanding the food court. Norman Pearl, Senior Vice President of Polaris Realty Canada Limited (the company which manages Harbour Centre), said in a press release, “The changes are designed to enhance the complex, making it brighter, more welcoming, and easier to navigate.” However, the redevelopment plan has caused grief for the current food court tenants.On November 30, 2012, the food vendors were given four-month eviction notices and were told they could reapply to return after construction completes near the end of 2013.
Le Viet Cuisine opened in October 2010 and had eight years remaining on their 10-year lease. According to Harbour Centre Complex Limited, the eviction notices for redevelopment abide by the terms and conditions set out in their signed lease agreements. Trina Vo, daughter of the owners of Le Viet Cuisine says, “My parents bought this business two years ago, and put all their money into it.” Although they, along with the other food court tenants, have an opportunity to reapply in January 2013, they are unsure what exactly that will entail. “We have been given very little information,” Vo says. Vo’s parents paid $100,000 to take over from the previous tenants, and are unsure if they will need to pay more money if their application is approved. In addition, during the 8 months the food court will be closed for renovation, food court tenants will be responsible for storing all the equipment needed for their business.
Cookies of Course has been in the Harbour Centre Complex for 28 years. “They told me they don’t want any independent vendors, but want big chains,” says Alan, the owner of Cookies of Course. According to the owner, the forced evictions are devastating, and the business is not planning on reapplying for a new lease. Alan says he was told that the company is looking for $300,000 for new leases. “They want this to be a food court like Richmond Centre, but it’s a weekday 9–5 food court,” Alan says.
The terminated lease agreement has caused a ripple in Soup Zone’s plans for expansion. “I was planning to open a third store,” says the owner Ramzen, “unfortunately I can’t do it because I lost one store.” Harbour Centre Complex Limited says that the goal of the redevelopment is to bring a refreshed dining and shopping experience. In addition, the 14 food vendors who will occupy the redeveloped food court will be subject to higher design standards.
When it comes to who the new food vendors will be, Harbour Centre Complex Limited has not confirmed any vendors, but say they will consider “any submissions that are able to meet these updated requirements, whether that is from current or new vendors.” Many customers of the food
court are SFU students, faculty and staff members who enjoy the food choices and reasonable pricing. One vendor says he has between 100–200 students purchase his food every day. Harbour Centre Complex Limited says, “It is our expectation that among the food vendors there will be options available with similar price points to our previous offerings.” However, because specific vendors have yet to be confirmed, specific price points are not available.
