Page 22 - Westman Business 2018

22 THE BRANDON SUN • WESTMAN BUSINESS • OCTOBER 2018

‘Sky is the limit’

in the city’s

southeast

INDICATORS POINT TO CONTINUED PROSPERITY

AS CHREST PLEDGES A FOCUS ON INDUSTRIAL

DEVELOPMENT

By Matt Goerzen ing. VBJ Developments first presented the idea to the “You have to be in this somewhat market responsive.
Brandon and Area Planning Department in 2011, and The developer needs to be market responsive - they need
In what will be his second political mandate as mayor was followed up by an application for urban expansion in to go where they feel the tenants want to go. And the
of the City of Brandon, Rick Chrest said that he foresees 2014. Background studies were prepared by the applicant place they want to be is in that area.”
continued steady growth for the community he leads. prior to the process picking up steam in 2017. During the next four years, Chrest said he would also
While he gives a nod to the fact that Brandon’s busi- And while the Manitoba Municipal Board accepted like to see greater movement on industrial development
ness community remains strong and stable, Chrest ad- the annexation proposal, and Brandon City Council vot- in the city.
mits he is at least a little impatient to see a few initiatives ed to officially sign the agreement, the RM of Cornwallis “We want to ratchet things up... in the southeast end
move along a little faster. council decided last June to postpone its decision. of Brandon,” Chrest said. “Our people have worked really
“A lot of things take longer than my liking,” Chrest “(The south end of Brandon) is destined to be a com- closely with industrial partners to jump start a better ap-
said in an interview earlier this month. mercial node,” Chrest said. “Again, the process just takes proach to industrial development in our southeast end.”
While there are always projects he would like to see way longer than I would like. But we’re close to the finish Asked what kind of developments he would like to see
move forward faster, Chrest was referring to a proposed line.” in the southeast industrial area of the city, Chrest said,
170-acre development southwest of the Patricia Avenue The previous council moved away from attempts to “the sky is the limit.”
and Highway 10 intersection that has prompted the city develop Brandon’s northern property and instead con- “We would look at anything. But we do have a strong
to annex the land from the RM of Cornwallis. centrated on commercial developments to the south, agricultural flavour. We’re called the Wheat City after all,
The annexation process has been years in the mak- which Chrest said made more financial sense. and agribusiness is a strong suit for us. And we have quite