Is the town with a reputation as a place that woulda, shoulda, coulda got it done, finally getting it done? The Oceanfront Development is moving closer to the much anticipated spades-in-the-ground phase. After an extensive two-year process, the proposal has received provincial environmental approval and now Cushman & Wakefield, the designated marketing agents for the district, are ready to offer lots on over 64 acres to prospective buyers.
On another front, despite a well publicized protest campaign spearheaded by some members of the climbing community, the Sea to Sky Gondola has received overwhelming support at public hearings. The proponents have jumped through all the prerequisite regulatory hoops and could move forward soon after a park use permit is issued by BC Parks.
Hats off to council for convincing the province to rescind the extra $2 million RCMP tab with which the district got saddled because of an estimated population increase that put us over the 15,000 residents threshold in a provincial reassessment. Hopefully, that move will lead to a substantial drop in our annual municipal tax hit. Sometimes it pays to have a former bank manager, a retired lawyer and folks who still have their feet firmly planted in the business world on council.
Speaking of putting a few more bucks into municipal coffers, the district has sold 20 acres of prime industrial real estate within the 撸奶社区Business Park, a transaction that will secure a return of $8,000,000. Potential jobs and tax revenues from new businesses are sure to follow.
And, besides advancing the reputation of this community in spades, Quest University is quietly becoming one of our major employers. In a short five years Quest has expanded from its original 72 students and seven faculty members to 425 students and 31 full-time faculty. Construction is now underway for the first of five new residences. In addition to earning chart topping student engagement marks on surveys in national publications, Quest is also becoming an inclusive community hub, granting local organizations full access to its facilities, providing guest lectures on and off campus, and offering educational programs for residents. Given all this top drawer commercial activity swirling around us, it would not be farfetched to say we're on a bit of a roll.
