Last week’s announcement that the Onni Group had submitted a proposal to the City of Colwood, to develop the first phase of the reclamation project at the failed Capital City Centre site, did not come as a surprise.
But what it did show us was that developers continue to show confidence in Colwood as a place to do business and create neighbourhoods and business areas.
The City took a lot of flack over the years from residents who grew tired of seeing giant holes in the ground, stalled developments and rusting rebar and unfinished concrete foundations, the latter being the case for this high-profile Colwood Corners location.
But many people forget the economy was in a very precarious position when many of these mega-projects were getting off the ground – the City had no control over that. And we’re pretty sure that Colwood wasn’t the only city on B.C. West Coast that saw such developments as a way to better provide for their residents as a whole over the long term.
The Allandale Pit lands, also featured in today’s Gazette, could well be the next big thing in terms of large-scale residential and commercial development.
There appears to be no slowdown in the amount of people moving to the West Shore, and if the people are here, local jurisdictions are going to open the door to business to help provide homes and amenities to service their residents.
While not everyone agrees with the speed and style with which Langford has grown, they are a good example of a community making the most of what it is given – in this case, a significant exodus of residents to an area where they can find more modestly priced real estate.
While Colwood differs from Langford in its personality, geography and expectation of growth, this city may one day find itself keeping pace with its larger, more outgoing neighbour when it comes to growth.