Calgary's Eau Claire Market to close May 31

Eau Claire Market is set to close at the end of May as the City of Calgary moves ahead with a plan to demolish the downtown mall to make way for a future Green Line LRT station and redevelopment of the site.

Under an agreement reached last year, Harvard Developments will hand over the property to the city on June 1.

Demolition is slated to begin in July and be completed this fall.

Harvard Developments says it plans to transform the site with a new mixed-use development that incorporates the future LRT line.

"As we bid farewell to the Eau Claire Market building, we know it marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the area," Harvard Developments CEO Rosanne Hill Blaisdellsaidin a release.

"With the city's recent significant investment in the Eau Claire Plaza and the impact of the Green Line, our redevelopment of this property will result in a vibrant, revitalized place in the heart of the downtown."

The site will be used for construction staging once work starts on the Green Line later this year.

Harvard Developments said a farewell partyis being planned for May 11.

"This community event will provide neighbours and citizens with a final opportunity to gather, reminisce and celebrate 30 years of memories made at Eau Claire Market," the company said.

Two restaurants adjacent to the market, Joey Eau Claire and Local Public Eatery, will continue to operate, along with a section of the south surface parking lot.