Ontario Construction News staff writer
Detailed on-site technical analysis will soon begin in Wilmot, part of the Region of Waterloo’s plan to create shovel-ready land to secure a “generational investment”. The Region has now successfully purchased about one third of the 770-acre site.
The region continues to work with landowners to negotiate fair and equitable agreements for the purchase of land. As some agreements are now finalized, on-site investigations will start, including further technical analysis and environmental work.
“This land assembly effort is a transformational initiative for the economic future of our region and is essential as we grow to one million residents,” said Regional Chair Karen Redman. “Assembling shovel-ready land is about securing thousands of new jobs in our community and bringing billions of dollars to our local economy.
“We are seeing this type of investment across the province and the positive impact it can make on the lives of residents.”
Over the last several years, the region has lost potential investment opportunities from major employers because there was no shovel-ready land for development that would be attractive to a large-scale employer.
Responding to the needs of global and local businesses looking to locate or expand in Waterloo Region, this future shovel-ready site will offer new, well-paying jobs and spin-off investments and jobs in related fields such as construction, logistics, supply chain management and others.
Some of the specific characteristics about this area that make it uniquely suited for this initiative include:
- The ability to assemble a large, contiguous area
- Adjacent arterial transportation (highway 7/8)
- Next to existing hydro infrastructure
- Nearby existing infrastructure for water/wastewater
- Not located on the Regional Recharge Zone, which protects Waterloo Region’s drinking water
- Consistent grading considerations throughout the area
- Close proximity to Waterloo Region’s skilled workforce, post-secondary education institutions and tech sector
“I want to recognize that this initiative deeply impacts different people in different ways,” Redman said. “The Region of Waterloo has a long history of balancing the protection of natural resources with needed investments to support growth and quality of life for residents. That vital commitment continues.”
More information is available here: Land Assembly in Wilmot – Region of Waterloo.
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