Khazana closes after years of downtown construction disruption
Long-standing downtown restaurant shuts down citing prolonged LRT and park construction as untenable impact on business.
Khazana Restaurant, a downtown fixture since 1998, has closed its doors after nearly three decades in business, citing years of ongoing construction as the decisive factor.
The restaurant, located near 107 Street and 102 Avenue, faced mounting obstacles from the construction of the new O'Day-Min park to its south and the planned Valley Line extension work nearby. The park construction transformed 107 Street into a cul-de-sac, reducing the restaurant's visibility and accessibility. Concrete barriers and muddy construction zones now dominate the surrounding area.
"Despite our best efforts, years of ongoing construction, reduced accessibility and the uncertainty of continued disruptions have made it nearly impossible for us to continue operations," the ownership said in a statement.
The closure has prompted Councillor Anne Stevenson, whose Ward O'Day-Min includes downtown, to revisit a previous council discussion about compensating businesses affected by extended construction. Stevenson, whose ward includes downtown, is now pushing for property-tax relief for impacted businesses.
"If you don't have a sidewalk that leads to your business, if you don't have a road in front of you, then I don't think that you're receiving municipal services that you need, and I think it's appropriate that be reflected in property taxes," Stevenson said.
The issue had been debated at council in the previous sitting, when then-Ward Nakota Isga councillor Andrew Knack (now mayor) repeatedly pushed for a compensation plan. The proposals were defeated at the time.