Founders' Food Hall and Market opening delayed

The Port of Charlottetown has pushed back the opening day of the Founders' Food Hall and Market. 

The group had originally planned to open on Canada Day but are now aiming for the end of July. 

"We've had a couple of project delays in our facility here and a little bit of a labour disruption … that kind of affected our timelines moving forward," said Mike Cochrane, CEO of the Port of Charlottetown. 

"But we're very focused on aiming toward the end of July."

Busiest construction season 'in recent years'

An overly busy construction season also contributed to the delay, he said. 

"We're into the busiest, probably, construction season that we've seen in recent years in P.E.I.'s history," Cochrane said.

The availability of labour, building materials and deliveries is limited due to high demand, he added.

"So, we're aiming for the end of July and we'll see how it goes," said Cochrane. 

Vendors understand delay

The Founders' Food Hall and Market will house more than 20 vendors as well as a brewery and test kitchen once the doors open. 

The Port of Charlottetown had a meeting with those vendors, informing them of the delay and Cochrane said they were understanding.

"It's something new, it's exciting, they understand it," he said. 

"We're all working toward the same goal, we all just want to get it done and do it right."

The port received just under $800,000 in federal money for the project. Cochrane said the delayed opening hasn't affected the overall budget.

While there isn't a specific date for the hall to open, he expects it could be open in time for the main cruise ship season in September and October.

"I think that's probably the biggest part of Founders' Hall for us and for the market family … and certainly vendors looking forward to that timeframe, as are we," he said.

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