A major development near the Britannia Mine Museum is moving forward with the project’s first open house scheduled later this month.
The proponent, Tigerbay Development Corporation (previously known as Taicheng Development Corp.) says South Britannia will be a mixed-use community built around a six-acre surf park, the first of its kind in Canada.
The surf park will use Wavegarden Cove technology, which pumps out up to 1,000 waves per hour. Several facilities are in operation around the world, including in Texas, the U.K., Spain and Australia.
Video: Wavegarden Cove technology 101
South Britannia to include up to 1,000 homes, retail
The development around the surf park at Britannia Beach will have up to 1,000 homes, including townhomes and low rise condominiums. Up to 150 purpose-built rentals will also be part of the community.
Two sites are identified for tourist accommodation, i.e. a hotel or lodge, as well as sites for “glamping” and camping. The developer envisions retailers including a grocery store and craft brewery.
Approximately 38 per cent of the site will be parks and open space.
The site was formerly a gravel pit, known as the Makin Lands.
Plans to move forward with development of the site now are somewhat unexpected, as the property was listed for sale by Tigerbay Development Corp. as recently as 2018, according to a report by the Squamish Chief.
Taicheng Development Corp. (now Tigerbay) bought the land through a court-ordered sale in 2012 for $30.5 million, according to media reports. The developer originally planned to build up to 4,000 units of housing on the site, but that has been scaled down significantly to the current proposal of 1,000 units.
Any development of the site still needs approval from the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, and there’s no word on when construction might begin, or if the development will be built in phases.
A open house is scheduled for September 21, 2019. More information is available at southbritannia.com
