Two new tenants who are set to move into the Golden Ears Business Centre will bring more than 200 jobs to Pitt Meadows.
The Onni Group recently inked deals for a 110,000 square foot lease with Eurorite Cabinets and a 80,000 sq. ft. lease with Maurice Sports, the largest distributor of outdoor sporting goods in North America.
The business centre at the south end of Harris Road is currently the most versatile centre in the Lower Mainland, according to Onni, accommodating light industrial clients looking for flexible space anywhere from 5,000 sq. ft. to 1,000,000 sq. ft. in a market that is lacking similar facilities.
"It's been a slow-go because it's been trailblazing," Dionne Delesalle told council last week, noting the centre, which officially opened in 2009, took a while to attract tenants.
"It is really ramping up and we are really happy about the prospects."
Golden Ears Business Centre is currently the largest industrial development in Metro Vancouver, boasting more than 1.6 million sq. ft. of "buildable" space on the site.
The first building is 85 per cent leased and represents another 50 jobs for the city and surrounding area.
The prospect of new jobs elicited much praise from Pitt Meadows council, which noted the news was a good way to "kickstart 2013."
"In addition to the obvious tax benefits, our partnership with Onni is allowing more Pitt Meadows residents to work close to home and to spend less time commuting and more time with their families," said Mayor Deb Walters.
"We have positioned ourselves well to not only benefit our residents with jobs, but with the economic and tax benefits that development such as this creates. This is a win for our community and I am very pleased with the progress made to date."
- with files from the City of Pitt Meadows