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business and industry Box Springs: more than a home to the Event Centre SCOTT SCHMIDT B
efore a location for the Regional Event Centre was even confirmed, talk of the Box Springs Business Park throughout the city very much
revolved around the proposed arena.
But if you ask the people involved in BSBP, both from the group’s perspective and that of companies set to move in, the Event Centre’s now guaranteed fruition is simply a bonus to a business model that makes a lot of sense.
Over the next year Hatters and the people of Redcliff will see several businesses officially open, or at least break significant ground at BSBP, and the fact of the matter is the explosion of activity versus the recent 2013 announcement of the Event Centre is simple coincidence.
“We were coming anyway,” says Cristen Cournoyer, director of marketing and communications for Princess Auto, which she confirmed is set to open in BSBP in late fall. “We have had plans for expanding in Western Canada for a while. Medicine Hat has been on the list forever.”
Princess Auto will be a 20,000 square-foot store, a “smaller footprint than our normal stores,” Cournoyer says, but will offer everything any other location does and will be “perfect for this market.”
“It’s pretty exciting for us. We only have 36 locations so we’ve always been a little bit of a destination spot. We’ve heard that many people in Medicine Hat are fans of Princess Auto so we’re excited to open one there.”
Princess Auto isn’t the only company set to open its doors this either, with several others planning fall openings as well.
Boston Pizza and A&W are both scheduled to open, with Redcliff’s Fox Safety and Medicine Hat’s Starks Plumbing planning relocations into the park. Petro- Canada is also on the list of big openings this year, with the announcement of a travel centre in the park’s northeast.
“We are extremely excited about this location,” said a spokesperson with the company. “It’s an $11-million build so it’s a significant project.
“We look forward to serving the people of Medicine Hat.”
“We are targeting to open a new facility mid-2014,” says Nicole Fisher, media
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advisor for Suncor Energy Inc. “In addition to a Petro-Canada retail fueling station and a Petro-Pass, this location will include a 10,000 square-foot building which will house a convenience store, and an A&W restaurant.”
Suncor, as well, did not take the Event Centre into consideration when choosing to build at BSBP. Fisher says the company like the proximity to the highway, as well as the variety of amenities opening up in the area.
BSBP’s John Hashem doesn’t pretend he isn’t extremely happy that the Event Centre is coming to the area, stating “the toughest sale we had was to give that land away.” But he says the initial slow development of Box Springs had a lot more to do with economic downturn at the time than any pending Event Centre.
“I don’t think we’d be behind the eight- ball if it didn’t work out,” Hashem says. “We’re glad it’s there; it’s a real bonus. But we’d be where we are regardless.”
Where they are is in a major boom, at least in comparison to recent years, and finally the group’s vision is starting to take shape. Hashem says the group wanted to see the 35-acre area adjacent to the Event Centre become its own Event Centre district.
Whether it be lodging: “There are three hotels planned,” says Hashem. “Hamptons Inn, Hilton Extended Stay and the third one planned is to be a full-service hotel.
“Though the full-service hotel is not set in stone.”
Recreation and the proposed 4-plex arena across the road from the Event Centre: “What I see with a four-plex arena is that many cities are going to these multi-plexes and we hope to be the centre of the whole area for tournaments.”
Or the now possible adjacent dwellings: “We never had much of a vision for residential,” Hashem says. “But the architects came up with the idea and we like it. We expect it to be loft-style condos but we don’t know yet for sure.”
One thing that is for sure is that 2014 will see the completion of all roads to the area, which Hashem
2014 REPORT ON SOUTHEAST ALBERTA
says will make a big difference in the upcoming months as far as securing new developments.
The entire park seems to be snowballing with development and Hashem says the group’s goal is to “bring more economic development to our city,” so it’s a least starting to come together.
Even Hashem isn’t getting too far ahead though, as with all that’s set to open this year — as well as the Event Centre and Hampton Inn next year — there is still a ton of space left for future development.
“This is a long-term play,” Hashem says. “If we could sell 10 per cent (of what we have left) this year we’d be happy.”
“The growth of the city in the future will be on this side if the river. So we’re very excited to see that come together even more.” ■
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