ANBL hopes to complete move from downtown to First Town Place by March 1

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By Jim Dumville

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Instead of spring cleaning next year, the staff at Woodstock's liquor store will be packing up for a move.

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PHOTO BY JIM DUMVILLE

NBCC Woodstock sits in the background of the Alcool NB Liquor sign at the corner to its store parking lot in downtown Woodstock. This year's college class will be the last with a liquor store within easy walking distance.

PHOTO BY JIM DUMVILLE

Next to the Wal-Mart, at the corner of Gallop Court and Connell Street, is the chosen location for the new liquor store scheduled to open next spring.

Alcool New Brunswick Liquor (ANBL) confirmed plans to replace its current store in downtown Woodstock with a new outlet built next to Wal-Mart on Connell Street. ANBL spokesperson Gary Von Richter said the corporation accepted a proposal to build a new, larger, more modern retail outlet at First Town Place.

He expects the new store to be open by spring.

"We're targeting March 1," Von Richter said.

He said ANBL officials believe the new store will pay-off in higher sales.

"We think it's great," said Von Richter. "It will be a more visible location."

The Woodstock move follows a similar and successful course of action in other New Brunswick towns and villages in which the liquor corporation established new stores near exits of the Trans Canada Highway. Von Richter said the stores noted increased customer traffic in those communities, and ANBL officials expect the same result in Woodstock.

Von Richter also confirmed the corporation has no plans to maintain a type of outlet in downtown Woodstock.

"Connell Street is the business centre," he noted.

Woodstock officials, including Mayor Art Slipp, hoped ANBL would reconsider its decision. Meetings with liquor corporation officials, including president and CEO Dana Clendenning, failed to head off the relocation.

While they couldn't convince ANBL to remain downtown, they left the May 23 meeting with the understanding the liquor corporation's request for proposals (RFPs) would at least consider a wider area along Connell Street.

Both Mayor Slipp and chief administrative officer Ken Harding said ANBL officials stated the corporation would consider locations anywhere between Deakin Drive and the Trans Canada Highway.

The RFPs considered only proposals for locations between Everett Street and the highway. In a letter to council, Clendenning said it was a misunderstanding over street names.

"There was some discussion on where the eastern boundary area would be, and that the town would prefer it to be far enough southeast to take in a proposed future development," Clendenning confirmed in his letter.

He went on, however, to explain liquor corporation officials apparently misunderstood the location of the future development.

"Our office had previously been in discussion with one property owner related to their intention to develop their land that is adjacent to Everett Street," wrote Clendenning. "We may have inadvertently considered this to be the ‘future development' you were referring to. If so, the confusion of street names is understandable."

Slipp and Harding insist they both left the May meeting with the full understanding that land as far east as Deakin Drive would be considered.

"In fact," Harding said, "Carleton Mall was mentioned in the discussions."

Despite the misunderstanding, ANBL will not reconsider its decision.

"The public tender for the new store closed on July 15 and cannot be re-advertised as you have request," Clendenning wrote.

With that, the town had to accept ANBL's decision as final. By next summer, area drinkers will be heading to First Town Place, at the corner of Connell Street and Gallop Court, to pick up their wine, beer and spirits.

While the location will be different, Von Richter pointed out, the new store will be larger and will offer more products and more services.