If something isn鈥檛 done about an increasing shortage of industrial land, there is a chance 91原创 and the rest of the Lower Mainland could effectively run out of space by 2030.

That鈥檚 the assessment of Greater 91原创 Chamber of Commerce director Garth White, a commercial real estate broker with Avison Young Commercial Real Estate.

Every year, White noted, there is less industrial land available.

鈥淭here鈥檚 about nine to 10 years of supply,鈥� White commented.

鈥淲e鈥檙e definitely starting to run out.鈥�

A post by the agrees there is an impending shortage of industrial land, calling it 鈥渃rucial to support a prosperous, sustainable regional economy鈥� with roughly one in four Metro jobs, about 23 per cent, or 275,000, located in industrial lands.

Used mainly for manufacturing, transportation and warehousing, wholesale trade, retail trade and professional and technical services, industrial lands provide for the day-to-day needs of the region鈥檚 population, with services like vehicle repair, industrial laundry services, catering companies, breweries and couriers.

As industrial land gets harder to find, it鈥檚 becoming more expensive, with prices rising an average of 11 per cent a year, White noted

Locally, with the U.S. border on one side and mountains on the other, there isn鈥檛 as much space compared to other metropolitan areas, White observed.

鈥淚f you look at Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, there鈥檚 ability to expand outward,鈥� said White.

But beyond geography and borders, White maintains the big issue is one of policy.

There is space, it鈥檚 just not being utilized, according to White, who points to the loss of large industrial sites that have been re-zoned for residential, and land that can鈥檛 be touched because it鈥檚 in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR).

鈥淚 think there鈥檚 a lot of unproductive land that鈥檚 in the ALR that isn鈥檛 farmed and can鈥檛 be farmed,鈥� White commented.

It isn鈥檛 a popular opinion,鈥� he acknowledged, but it 鈥渘eeds to be looked at.鈥�

There is also available land that isn鈥檛 in the ALR that could be used for industrial, he added, citing as an example, the stretch of Fraser Highway between 240 and 248 Streets.

Something needs to be done before we 鈥渉it that wall and run out of land,鈥� White commented. 鈥淚 think there鈥檚 a lot of talk about it, but little action.鈥�

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Much of the industrial land base is being lost because of market pressure to convert industrial lands to multi-family residential and commercial developments, a report by the Greater 91原创 Chamber of Commerce has warned.

It described the shortage of industrial land in Greater Vancouver as 鈥渟evere鈥� and said preservation of the existing stock cannot be accomplished by local governments alone, but will require regional cooperation and provincial leadership.

READ ALSO: A voice for 91原创 business is heard nation-wide

鈥漈he challenge is that valuable, employment- generating industrial lands located near airports, rivers and roadways, are being lost forever and this will stifle our future economic growth,鈥� it declared in an advocacy update published at www.langleychamber.com titled 鈥淧rotection of Industrial Lands for Future Prosperity.鈥�

It called on the province to help develop a strategy with regional and local governments 鈥渢o prevent further depletion of critical industrial parcels and to ensure the replacement of lost industrial lands and a potential increase in the size of the industrial land base. 鈥�

dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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