OCTOBER 2021 sites in this neighborhood that was redeveloped. We saw that as an opportunity. Six years in, we employ 45 people in Riverdale, and we should see about 10,000 visitors a year to Riverdale annually.” That vision culminated in the company’s first project, which is Little Brick Café. The house has historical significance, which made it more endearing to the community. “It is a small café,” notes MurrayGreen. “It is built down by the river. It is very central. It used to be an industrial area and it used to be a brick plant. The whole area was industrial. The house has historical significance. It was our first project as a team.” Little Brick is a 1902 residence that River Valley Co. converted into a café/pub with a bakery on the second and an Airbnb on the third floor. Over the decades, the house has seen new editions, which created hurdles for the River Valley Co. to overcome. However, with the work of local crafts- and tradespeople, the Little Brick Café project was a success. Murray recounts, “it needed a lot of work, and it was a funny building. It was a hodgepodge of construction styles throughout the years. Fixing it required substantial restorations. We put a kitchen in the basement, and we fixed the wiring.” As part of their dedication to Edmonton, River Valley Co. worked with local trades and businesses to make the Little Brick Café a local success. The company hired a local concrete company, upholsterer, and millworkers to complete the project. “Turning to local craftsman made sense,” adds MurrayGreen. “All the concrete is done locally by Phoenix concrete. Peppers Upholstery was great to work with too. Our millworkers—Studio Bramble-- have a shop in town, so they did everything on site in Edmonton. Working with trades that are here helped us developed a supply chain that was easy and Canadian.”
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