There is strong demand for land adjacent to the
wharf for use as a bulk commodities shipping terminal. There is
demand for other commodities, including: coal (Emera); slag (Heckett);
coal, salt and gypsum (Canada Steamship Lines); salt (the new salt
mine in St. George’s NF).
| 1. |
At a royalty rate of $1 per ton, the 15 million
tons of existing slag on the site (net of 5 million tons of
poor quality slag which can be used for fill) could generate
$15 million of revenue over the next 15 to 20 years. |
| 2. |
Without SYSCO, there are currently 160 acres of serviced industrial
land for sale at the Sydport, Northside and Cossitt Heights
Industrial parks. This is at least a 16 year supply. There are
no privately owned industrial parks in Nova Scotia, as land
is usually sold at a loss in order to stimulate economic activity.
As a consequence, developing the site as an industrial park
will not generate a profit as defined by the private sector
|
| 3. |
There are a number of buildings on the site with re-development
potential. Several companies have expressed an interest in these
buildings. Although the revenue generated by these buildings
may not be great (and in fact may be offset by the cost to upgrade
and repair them), reusing the buildings will stimulate economic
development. |
| 4. |
Lots associated with the sale of industrial buildings should
have space for lay down areas and parking lots (3 to 4 times
the square footage of the building footprint). |
| 5. |
There is limited demand for light industrial land near the
front of the property (mini-storage facilities, car dealerships,
retail showrooms, etc.). Road access/visibility is needed to
capitalize on this opportunity. Lot sizes should range from
0.5 to 2 acres. Heavy industrial lots should be 12 to 50 acres
in size. |
| 6. |
There is very little demand for office space in the Sydney
market at this time. The existing SYSCO administration building
provides 16,200 square feet of good quality space, which will
be an amenity to new businesses locating to the property. The
former Heckett building also has potential for re-use. It is
unlikely that market rents will sup-port the construction of
new space in the short term. |
| 7. |
There may be interest in the oil storage tanks. This is a
low probability, but worth pursuing. The tanks should be preserved
until this land is needed. |
| 8. |
There is no market for residential or hotel uses on the site.
|
| 9. |
There is currently enough demand to support another 18 hole
golf course in the Sydney area. This would ideally have modest
greens fees, be open to the public, and would appeal primarily
to local residents. The Coke Ovens lands could support this
use. |
| 10. |
There is demand for a new swimming facility in Sydney; this
would require the closure and consolidation of two local pools
(the YMCA on Charlotte Street and the Kiwanis Pool on Inglis).
|
| 11. |
There is no demand for baseball fields or soccer pitches on
the site. There is a strong demand for a regional trail system,
and trail links between neighborhoods should be included in
the planning of the property . |
| 12. |
There is no market need (with respect to the re-development
of the SYSCO lands) to retain the Coke Ovens property for industrial
uses. Re-use of the Coke Ovens can be undertaken separately
and according to community wishes. The distance of the Coke
Ovens site from the wharf and other heavy industrial infrastructure
is such that the benefit of this adjacency is relatively small.
The Coke Ovens is also much closer to established residential
neighborhoods on two sides, resulting in more potential land
use conflicts than on the SYSCO site. |
|
