A Courtenay forestry company is receiving up to $145,204 from the B.C. government to help turn an unused lot, the site of a former sawmill, into a multi-use complex, MLA Don McRae announced Friday.
The location is at the site of a former sawmill operated by SCG Forest Inc. in the southern part of the city on Comox Logging Road.
SCG Forest Inc. is an affiliate of Korean company Seoul City Gas Inc.
The multi-use complex would include residential development, a meeting and information centre, restaurants, commercial store space, and gardens, BC Government Caucus Communications said in a news release.
This project is part of the $1.5-million brownfield renewal funding program, which is funding 19 projects in 13 B.C. communities to help turn former industrial sites into usable property, the release continued.
· A brownfield is an abandoned or underused industrial or commercial property, and is often contaminated and has strong redevelopment potential.
· Since its creation in 2008, the brownfield renewal program has provided close to $6 million for 101 projects in over 50 communities. The funding is available to private property owners, including local governments, First Nations, non-profit agencies and businesses.
· The program assists projects in their initial stages by funding site contamination studies and research to develop options for site restoration and redevelopment.
“The brownfield renewal program serves as a practical and innovative means toward further developing and enhancing the Comox Valley. Redeveloping SCG Forest Inc.’s former sawmill into a usable facility will help improve our local economy," McRae said.
The provincial government estimates that there are between 4,000 and 6,000 brownfield sites, including urban, rural and waterfront locations across B.C.
For more about the B.C. Brownfield Renewal Program, visit www.brownfieldrenewal.gov.bc.ca.