'It's pretty exciting': Work underway at Summerside's new eco-business park

The diggers are out at Summerside's new 14-acreeco-business parknear Credit Union Place.

The city says crews will be on-site throughout thefall,installing all the shared services businesses will be able to use at the park.

"It's pretty exciting," said SummersideCoun. Brian McFeely."It's bringing in the roads and water and sewer, the electrical, all those important pieces required.That's what Phase 1includes the parking areas, those sorts of things. So it's very important."

That work will cost$1.5 million, McFeely said,with the provincialand federal governments covering 80 per cent of it.

McFeely saidthegoal is to havesome of the half to one-and-a half acre commercial lots ready for businesses to build on by the spring.

'Significant interest' in lots

Summerside is targeting businessesthat would follow environmentally-friendly practices andaim for net-zero carbon emissions.

McFeely said the city'sopen to selling or leasing the land.

"We're in conversation with a number of companies who have expressed some interest. And there's two or three that have expressed significant interest," said McFeely."So hopefully we can move those to the next phase here, and bring this to fruition."

The councillor said the big aim of the project is to increasethe availabilityof commercial space in Summerside, and to boost tax revenue.

"Our goal here is to increase the commercial tax base basically," he said. "If we can move that from 17 per cent of our total tax income to 21 per cent, that's well over a million dollars in additional tax revenue."

McFeely said drivers in Summerside can expect some "minor" traffic interruptions in the Greenwood Drive area, while the first phase of construction is happening this fall.

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