Three contracts have been awarded to companies that are working to develop the former Tembec lands, according to an update from city administration.
One contract awarded to SNC Lavalin covers environmental engineering that will do a site investigation update, update previous tables and drawings, and complete a data gap assessment and work plan. All that needs to be completed in order for further proposed development to occur.
Urban Systems Ltd. was awarded a contract for civil and transportation engineering, which will include a transportation network study of the lands. The contract will include conceptual designs, survey work, civil design, and cost estimates. Urban Systems Ltd will also conduct contract administration and field inspection when construction for that network begins.
“What we’re doing is looking at all the intersections around [it] and the concept plan to try and facilitate traffic through and around the development,” said Curtis Penson, a city engineer, “and the impacts this development has on our existing network, and any upgrades that may come out of that.”
Ultimately, one objective is to reduce semi-truck traffic on ‘the strip’ through Cranbrook by diverting it through the industrial lands area, which has access to the railway.
The plan itself is set for completion by the fall of 2019, and the final civil design is expected to completed a year later. Underlying infrastructure, such as deep civil utilities, could be installed by the summer of 2020 and road construction could follow a year later, at the earliest.
VAST Resource Solutions was awarded the third contract, which will see the completion of a geotechnical and hydrological assessment to evaluate and reduce areas of the property currently under a no-build covenant due to geotechnical and drainage hazards to future development.
Recommendations for subdivision, road construction and utility services from that study should be forthcoming by summer of 2019.
Councillor Mike Peabody suggested routing the Rails 2 Trails network through the upper ridge line of the property, which is already being looked at, according to staff.
Additionally, city staff says it is working on a marketing concept and strategy for the Tembec lands and are creating an economic development section on the city website to solicit interest from prospective entrepreneurs.
That process is currently underway, which will include marketing materials for web and media and is set to be unveiled by the fall.
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