Council recently gave final approval for a major new industrial development that will bring an estimated 1,500 jobs to Delta.
Beedie (South Perimeter) Holdings Ltd., applied to consolidate three industrial properties at 7590, 7664 and 7688 80th St. into one lot to develop a 254,028-square-foot customer fulfillment centre for Sobeys.
The 9.2-hectare (23-acre) site is situated between 80th Street to the west, Highway 17 to the east and the 80th Street (Tilbury) Connector to the south.
As part of the rezoning requirements, the planning department earlier this year required the owner to provide a road dedication along an 80th Street frontage.
A recent report from staff, however, noted that since FortisBC has a right-of-way within the required road dedication area fronting the property at 80th Street, they are required to provide approval of the road dedication plan.
The owner has engaged FortisBC to commence the road dedication approval process and, based on conversations between the owner and FortisBC, the owner advised that the process may take up to one year.
The report noted that to not delay the construction schedule, the owner has requested that the city postpone the road dedication requirement. The owner has submitted a letter of intent, which outlines their commitment to work with FortisBC on their approval process and provide the remaining road dedication.
In 2021, council approved an application by Beedie (Beedie (Progress Way) Holdings Ltd.) to construct another industrial complex in Tilbury. That 148,682 square foot light industrial building in the 7600-block of Progress Way is to be used for warehousing, distribution and offices.
At the Mayor’s Economic Breakfast earlier this year, guest speaker Tod Yuen, President of Beedie Industrial, described Metro Vancouver’s industrial land crunch as a crises, as “very large industrial companies that are providing critical jobs to women and men in this region cannot grow.”
One of the biggest issues identified is timing, but, at the municipal level, Delta is doing everything it can to reduce those delays. Changes are needed at the provincial level to reduce red tape and bureaucracy to unlock more industrial land, he said.
