New look for Smart Shopper

Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer

An old building in the heart of Penticton's downtown is getting a facelift.

Work started this week to improve the facade on the Smart Shopper building on the 200 block of Main Street.

"I'm absolutely excited," said Leigh Follestad, the building tenant and owner of Smart Shopper. "I've been looking forward to this since the day I took over."

The building, which includes the space where Tim Hortons used to be located, dates back to the 1920s.

Follestad said he's been encouraging his landlord in the past year to take advantage of the economic development incentives for the downtown which include storefront improvements.

"We've been working toward that for a year and the landlord has been open to the idea," he said. "It's needed an improvement for quite a while and this is an opportunity to do it."

Anthony Haddad, the director of development services for the city, said they issued a building permit a little while back for the facade upgrades of the entire frontage of the Smart Shopper building.

"I think it will make a great improvement to the 200 block of the downtown in keeping with the downtown revitalization process," he said.

Work has already begun to take the tile and tin off and replace it. An awning, similar to the one on the South Main Market, will also go up.