The District of Squamish is considering the creation of an Innovation Area within the Squamish Business Park, aiming to stimulate economic development and generate funding for community projects.
In a press release on Monday, Nov. 25th, the District announced it is seeking expressions of interest from developers and organizations interested in purchasing or leasing up to 17 acres of municipally owned land.
The site is being marketed for various uses, including commercial, industrial, and mixed-use developments, to maximize its potential for employment and collaboration opportunities.
“Squamish has an enviable lifestyle and a supportive entrepreneurial culture, and an innovation hub could provide ways to create solutions to some of today’s most pressing issues, while also increasing opportunities for people to work locally,” said Mayor Armand Hurford in the release.
What is an Innovation Area?
An Innovation Area is a special kind of space designed to bring people, businesses, and organizations together to work on new ideas, solve problems, and grow the local economy.
Think of it as a hub where creativity and technology meet. These areas often include offices, labs, factories, and educational spaces, all located close to each other to make collaboration easier.
The goal is to create a place where businesses can share resources, exchange ideas, and work with schools or research groups to develop new products or services.
According to the release, this can lead to more jobs, stronger partnerships, and an overall boost to the economy.
For the District, the Squamish Business Park, spanning over 215 acres, is considered an ideal location for such a hub. Already home to light industrial, recreational technology, and warehousing enterprises, it offers proximity to Highway 99 and is a 40-minute drive from Vancouver and Whistler.
Why sell or lease municipal land?
The District of Squamish is using a strategy called the Real Estate and Facilities Strategy (REFS) to fund upgrades to important public facilities, reads the release.
Some municipal properties, like the 17-acre parcel in the Squamish Business Park (known as Lots 38 and 39), have been identified as surplus. This means they’re not needed for District operations in the next 25 years, so they can be sold or leased to generate money for projects like:
- The Brennan Park Master Plan – Upgrades to Squamish’s main recreation centre.
- The Civic Block or Municipal Hall – A plan to improve essential public buildings.
Background on the project
In 2023, the District amended its financial plan to include a project to explore how District-owned lands could be better used. This led to studies on the feasibility of creating an Innovation Area on the Lots 38 and 39 site. Following this research, in July 2024, council approved moving forward with a “Request for Expressions of Interest” (EOI).
This process invites developers, businesses, or academic institutions to propose their ideas for buying or leasing the land. Proposals will be evaluated to determine which option brings the most benefits—such as jobs, partnerships, and economic growth—to the community.
These 17 acres are the largest remaining development-ready land in the Squamish Business Park.
Bhagyashree Chatterjee is The Squamish Chief’s Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
