Though it’s a mostly empty lot right now, Velara Developments has big plans for “Lakeview Landing,” which will be a new retail development spanning over 27,000 square feet. “We want to create a sort of European, agrarian style shopping and district village where people can come and spend their day [with a] morning coffee, breakfast, shopping through the afternoon, lunch, and maybe a glass of wine in the evening,” said Tara Osipoff, Velara Developments’ CEO. The $12-million development will be located in the Lakeview neighbourhood of Regina, just off Pasqua Street and Hill Avenue. “The reason that we wanted to do this type of style, a village here, is that it fits the neighbourhood. This is particularly special and fits really within the Lakeview feel and the aesthetic here. I think if we were doing something else, I don’t know if it would work. I think this parcel of land is really the ideal spot for something like this.” The plot of land was last used by Dutch Growers until 2021. This new plot of land will have two acres and five new buildings in total, with one being left over by the original Dutch Growers. “That was my home. For 15 years, it was where my children took their first steps. It was where every family gathering was held.” said Karen Van Duyvendyk, the owner of Dutch Growers. “It was the business that supported so many, not only my family, but so many other families in the area.” Sticking to its European roots, Osipoff said the area is supposed to have a “Scandinavian feel,” with business opportunities for hospitality, boutique retail, wellness, home & design and professional services. Now on the southside of the city, Dutch Growers has been gone from its original space for five years, in search of a larger space. “The [old] property itself has some challenges,” said Van Duyvendyk “It’s an odd shaped, kind of pilot piece of property. But that being said, it does have a great location. It’s very close to all the new development in Harbour Landing and in the south end of the city as well.” While it will be warmer to walk from place to place during the summer, Osipoff wants the landing to be a year-round experience, just like what Dutch Growers did for many years. “If you grew up in Regina, you would know that the Dutch Growers really activated the Christmas season,” Osipoff said. “It was really festive here and we want to do the same. We envision over the years, because it takes a long time to develop things, that we’ll have the same type of Christmas lights hanging, with that Christmas village during the winter.” Osipoff said they’ll be starting construction on the first building at the end of September, with others to follow in the new year.
