After getting the green light from Thompson city council on Jan. 29, McDonald’s is moving forward with its plan to build a new 90-seat, 5,769-square-foot building on their existing lot and on part of what is currently Anay-Powin Circle between the restaurant and CIBC.
Although the timeline for this project hasn’t been set in stone, construction is set to begin sometime this spring and will involve the demolition of the McDonald’s restaurant that currently resides at 217 Mystery Lake Road.
According to a memo by city manager Gary Ceppetelli, the municipal government has been discussing this proposal with McDonald’s since June 2016 and the franchise owner has agreed to pay the city $66,088 to develop this project on their land.
Council unanimously supported this development agreement Jan. 29, with many councillors praising the fact that McDonald’s seems undeterred by the economic hurdles that the city will be facing in 2018 and beyond.
“One of the things that really excites me about this is the obvious confidence that McDonald’s Restaurants Canada is putting in our city of Thompson at a time when everybody seems to only be talking about doom and gloom,” said Coun. Penny Byer. “It’s not often you’ll find a company who is willing to tear down their building and shut their business down for four months while they redevelop. That is a huge investment in the city of Thompson.”
In terms of what is going to happen to the employees who currently work at the Thompson McDonald’s during this construction period, owner Brett O’Meara told the Thompson Citizen he plans to retain all the workers by ramping up staffing at the Walmart location.
O’Meara also said he plans to hire even more employees once the new restaurant is built, since there will be more ground to cover in this comparatively larger building.
“As a local business owner and an active supporter of the Thomson community, I am very committed to my employees and excited to offer our guests a new environment to enjoy their favourite McDonald’s meals,” O’Meara wrote in a email to the Thompson Citizen. “This is great news for the city of Thompson and I am confident in the future of our northern community.”
