photo credit: IBI Group
Nanaimo City Council approved Sandstone, a complete community in balance with the area’s varied topography and environmental resources in the South end of Nanaimo, on November 24, 2009 in a 7-2 vote.
Northwest Properties and the Snuneymuxw First Nation entered into a joint venture in 2006 and purchased 726 acres of vacant freehold land located in South Nanaimo. They then formed an entity called Island Wolf Properties to oversee the appropriate development and conservation of the land and to create a vibrant community for the South end of Nanaimo.
This new community, called Sandstone to recognize the Snuneymuxw history of creating petroglyphs on Sandstone which are prevalent throughout the area, is nestled along the rolling hills and waterfront areas and reflects the diversity of Nanaimo – its history, wildlife, culture and people. Brook + Associates provided policy planning and public consultation for Sandstone during the past two years.
Sandstone will be the ‘welcome’ to the South end of City and will help spur economic development in the region. It is anticipated that the Sandstone development will create jobs—between 4 and 5,000 new ones—and will create significant retail demand in the area. Sandstone is scheduled to be phased over a 15 to 20 year period and will help support and accommodate the City’s future residential, industrial and commercial needs.