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Intrawest shortlisted for Squamish oceanfront

Development partner will be chosen at the end of April

By Clare Ogilvie

Intrawest is one of five development corporations, which has been short-listed as a possible partner to help develop the oceanfront lands in Squamish.

The Squamish Oceanfront Development Corporation put out a request for proposal for a joint venture partner last October.

“We got a phenomenal response,” said Mike Chin CEO of the SOD Corp.

“We had 15 quality submissions from big firms. It is just a testament to the interest and absolute excitement about this site and Squamish, in general.”

The other four short-listed contenders are Concord Pacific Group Inc., Holborn Group, Onni Development Capital Corporation, and Qualex Landmark Group of Companies.

Chin said the companies would submit proposals to the SOD Corp. by Jan. 26. There will be reviews, questions, interviews and clarifications of the submissions during February. A preferred proponent will be identified in March and it’s hoped an agreement will be in place by the end of April.

“This is a pretty long project and it is a long time to be partnering with somebody so we want to make sure we have the right partner so it is a bit of a process to select that partner from these submissions,” said Chin.

“This is not the highest bid wins this thing. It is going to be about fit with the community, community desires, sustainable development, economics is a pillar of that sustainability (too).”

The SOD Corp. was created by the District of Squamish to develop the oceanfront property in synergy with other downtown lands. The independent and for-profit corporation has been tasked with creating the conditions for a model oceanfront community and to make it become a reality.

Assets in the land and water lots will finance the development of residential, marine, commercial and light industrial, cultural and tourism facilities.

The District of Squamish acquired the lands from the provincial government in 2004 for $3. The lands were previously owned by BC Rail. The District of Squamish and SODC have a partnering agreement, which states that the fee simple title to the legal parcels will continue to be registered in the name of the District of Squamish and held in trust on behalf of SODC.

The property includes approximately 59 acres of land and 44 acres of fee simple water lot for a total of 103 acres.