Summerland is a town of about 11,280 people on the west side of Okanagan Lake in the interior of British Columbia, Canada. The area is famous for “Bottleneck Drive“, a system of roads connecting a large number of wineries.
But downtown Summerland has struggled, and it seems that seniors might be a key to reversing its fortunes. A proposed 380-unit seniors complex could bring new life to Summerland’s downtown businesses.
Rudi van den Broek, chief operating officer of real estate development firm the Lark Group says the project will bring new jobs to the community, as staff will be needed to work at the facility.
“It’s important to realize this new neighbourhood will have a fair number of younger adults working in it,” he said. As a result, he claims the real estate market and downtown businesses will benefit, and schools will see enrollment figures increase.
The project is expected to bring 200 to 300 local construction jobs over the three years of building the first phase, plus 75 to 100 full-time equivalent jobs after completion.
Photo of Summerland by Dale W. via Wikipedia.