Pictured is an artist's rendering of the new Penticton Nissan dealership now under construction at Satikw Crossing.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED
May 02, 2017 - 10:55 AM
PENTICTON - The Bridge to Nowhere won’t be for much longer.
The Penticton Indian Band Development Corporation announced today, May 2, construction has begun on a new Penticton Nissan dealership on locatee lands across the Okanagan River Channel.
The Satikw bridge has been called a Bridge to Nowhere by critics who feel the bridge accesses nothing but empty pasture, but proponents of the project said its an unfair label for a project that took 20 years to bring to the development stage.
The dealership, set to open in December, is the first business lease in the Satikw Crossing development, according to a Penticton Indian Band media release. The 17,000 square foot facility is expected to create 30 full time jobs when the dealership opens, and 35 jobs while under construction.
Infrastructure work is currently underway to service the site.
“Getting construction underway on Penticton Nissan is just the start. With new services and infrastructure in place, we know we can attract more businesses and developers to bring their projects here. This means more jobs and economic development for the entire south Okanagan region,” Penticton Indian Band Development Corporation economic development officer Lesley Gabriel says in the release.
More than 140 acres land is now accessible and available for development thanks to the Satikw crossing bridge which was constructed in 2015.
The car dealership development is part of an estimated $100 million in capital projects taking place on Penticton Indian Band lands in the next 10 years, the release says.
“We wouldn’t be where we are today without the ongoing support of Chief Chad Eneas and Council, as well as the vision and hard work of former Chief Jonathan Kruger, past councillors, the Locatee Band members who own the land, and the entire community who believed in this project,” Gabriel says. “I would like to say that we, as a Council, are seeking ways to continue supporting the community, including the Locatee Band members, in strengthening opportunities for a healthier community where economics is a part of the shared success of PIB."
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News from © iNFOnews, 2017