Margaritaville to anchor Calgary Stampede expansion

Musician Jimmy Buffett's first Canadian restaurant will anchor a new retail complex at the Calgary Stampede, developers announced on Thursday.

After years of land acquisitions in the neighbourhood of Victoria Park, the Stampede is going ahead with a major expansion.

Olympic Way will be renamed Stampede Trail and feature a $170 million development with stores, restaurants and office space.

Margaritaville, a chain restaurant owned by Buffett, will anchor the complex. Customers will be able to enjoy a 10,000-sq. ft. outdoor patio and live entertainment including stilt walkers and balloon artists, promised the chain in a news release.

Buffett is most famous for his1977 hit, Margaritaville. Calgary will be the first Canadian location for the chain, which has locations in the U.S., Jamaica and Mexico.

Alberta Development Partners Inc., which is based in Colorado, has plans for the Stampede Trail development to include six buildings from 12th Avenue S.W. to the current Stampede gates.

Companies like Sunterra Market have also signed on to the project.

Officials said Margaritaville should open in time for 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede in 2012.