While the future of the former Weyerhaeuser mill in Okanagan Falls is uncertain, the regional district director for the area believes the site and the community are both attractive to investors.
“We’re not just highly desirable as a region. We have a lot of attractive qualities in Okanagan Falls,” said Ron Obirek, Area D director for the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen.
Obirek’s comments come after uncertainty about the former mill site.
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Last month, Sunniva Inc. announced it was suspending plans for a $1.25 million cannabis production facility at the site as the company was focusing on its operations in California.
More recently, in an article in Let’s Toke Business, Anthony Holler, co-founder, chair and chief executive officer of Sunniva Inc. said operating in California would create more shareholder value than Canadian operations.
“So our objective is to sell the Canadian assets and use the money to expand our California operations,” he said.
The Canadian operation was estimated to create 220 full-time jobs at the 6.9-hectare facility.
Once a bustling business park, Weyerhaeuser mill shut down operations in 2007 and it has been dormant since. In 2009, Zinfandel Holdings released a concept plan that proposed three main uses for the property, including commercial/industrial, affordable housing and space for the possibility of a vineyard. However, the project was put on hold for environmental work and then hurdles in rezoning completely stopped Zinfandel Holdings from moving forward.
There has been some activity on the piece of land. In 2011 Structurlam announced construction of their new facility on a portion of the former Weyerhaeuser site. Their 15,000 square foot building now houses one of the largest planers in the world.
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Still Obirek said the former Weyerhaeuser site in Okanagan Falls has value, with or without Sunniva.
“The land itself isn’t going anywhere,” he said.
He added that others will be interested in the industrial property.
“I would love to see a successful entrepreneur at the site,” he said. “The potential of the land is tremendous.”
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