Vancouver House will become site of new London Drugs and Fresh St. Market stores

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      The Bjarke Ingels-designed twisting tower at the north end of the Granville Street Bridge will be home to two significant retailers next summer.

      London Drugs and Fresh St. Market have both reached deals to lease space in Westbank's Vancouver House at the corner of Pacific and Howe streets.

      Fresh St. Market has outlets in Surrey and West Vancouver and this will be the company's first store in Vancouver.

      It sells organic produce and features full-service meat and seafood counters.

      "These two distinct brands support our belief in creating a rich community with services and concepts that support the immediate neighbourhood and invite the broader community in," Vancouver House leasing manager Emilie Lok said in a company news release. "We envision this to be one of Vancouver's most vibrant and welcoming neighbourhoods in the years ahead."

      Artist Rodney Graham's Torqued Chandelier will add an 18th-century touch to the emerging Beach District.

      Westbank founder Ian Gillespie praised London Drugs for its innovative approaches. The Vancouver-based company has long been a leader in recycling products sold through its stores.

      "We share their belief in stewardship, with particular emphasis on environmental efforts as we look to Vancouver House to be at the core of a LEED Platinum neighbourhood, including its LEED Platinum residential towers—one of the first in the world," Gillespie said.

      The area is being called the Beach District. When the project is completed and more people start visiting the neighbourhood, one of the attractions will be artist Rodney Graham's Torqued Chandelier. It's a five-metre 18th-century light that will be suspended from the Granville Street Bridge over Beach Avenue.