Article Synopsis
Nanaimo city councillors have unanimously advanced a rezoning application for 25 hectares of new light industrial land between East Wellington Road and the Nanaimo Parkway. Modelled on the established Boxwood industrial area, the development prohibits heavy industry and emitting uses while allowing one- to three-storey buildings with office and food service space. The project adds to Nanaimo's industrial land supply at a time when available space is limited across Vancouver Island, strengthening the city's position as a logistics and manufacturing hub for the region.
City councillors have given unanimous consent to advance a rezoning application to public hearing, clearing the way for a new stretch of light industrial land between East Wellington Rd. and the Nanaimo Parkway. This application is set to strengthen Nanaimo’s industrial land supply at a time when this space remains in short supply for the region.
A Companion to Boxwood
Mark Holland of Westplan Consulting Group recently told Nanaimo City Council the project is restricted to lighter, non-polluting uses and modelled on Boxwood, an established industrial area on the other side of the Nanaimo Parkway. All heavy industry and emitting uses are outright prohibited on the site, and the intent is to twin what already works elsewhere in the city.
The Economic Impact
This is not just about warehouses and industrial bays. It is about 25 hectares of land with one- to three-storey buildings expected to fill it, and the office and food service space allowed on upper floors to support higher intensity employment. When light industrial land comes to market at this scale, it moves through trades, construction, leasing activity, and the businesses that eventually locate there.
A Plan for More
The application includes plans for a connector road between East Wellington Rd. and Northfield Rd., along with intersection, road, and frontage upgrades on East Wellington Rd. This project would not complete that connection on its own. Developers are hoping to acquire one additional parcel that would finish the link to the Northfield Rd. intersection, leaving a piece of the region’s future industrial access still outstanding.
Balancing Expansion
Around 50 per cent of the existing tree cover on the property would be preserved, with environmental studies already completed and more expected as the land is subdivided. A 50-metre buffer along the Nanaimo Parkway, including the Parkway Trail, is also being maintained. Financial contributions from developers to the City are intended to address the two concerns residents raised most often during early consultation: environmental preservation and transportation mobility.
What This Means for You
Industrial land generates tax revenue that funds roads, parks, and emergency services, easing pressure on residential property taxes. Much of the road and intersection work gets funded through the rezoning process rather than general revenue, so residents benefit from better infrastructure without footing the bill. Local trades and service providers see the ripple effects too, both during construction and once new businesses settle in.
Impact for Nanaimo
Nanaimo’s position as the central shipping and logistics hub for the mid-Island only strengthens with more industrial land coming online. Additional warehouse and light industrial space gives distributors, manufacturers, and trades room to operate in close proximity to the port, airport, and highway network that already make the city a natural staging point for goods moving through the region.
From an economic development perspective, a project like this is less about a single parcel and more about the land base it adds to the city’s industrial capacity. Nanaimo’s businesses that need room to expand, relocate, or consolidate operations benefit when that supply grows, and so do the trades, suppliers, and service providers that support them once construction begins.
At a time when municipalities across Vancouver Island are competing for industrial investment, this decision signals that Nanaimo intends to keep expanding its industrial land base in step with demand.
When a city advances land for light industrial use, it is building capacity, giving growing businesses somewhere to land, and reinforcing Nanaimo’s role as a working hub on Vancouver Island.
