Shovels could soon be in the ground for a much-anticipated redevelopment project at the airport in Powell River, B.C., that will include a new hangar for aircraft maintenance and a multi-use conference centre.
City council recently approved a development permit application that will allow Gaoshi Holdings Canada of Vancouver to move forward with a mixed-use aviation park at the airport site subject to conditions.
The developer must still submit detailed landscape and stormwater management plans along with a security deposit.
The venture, valued at $3 million, is the initial phase of a four-phase project the developer hopes to complete over several years.
The city has been working with the developer on the project for nearly two years. In 2018, city council accepted an offer from Gaoshi of $600,000 for a 99-year lease on the 4.65-hectare parcel of property near the existing terminal.
Victor Gao, director and vice-president of Gaoshi Holdings, said the company wants to build a gateway that will be inviting and provide long-term benefits to the city.
He told a recent committee-of-the-whole meeting that design work of both buildings is near completion and construction can begin as early as this summer, with the build taking 16 months.
“Our goal is to provide a statement for Powell River for transitioning more jobs and positive economic impacts. We are building something that is a long-term benefit for the city,” he said.
Andrew Cheung Architects Inc. of Vancouver is in charge of design work. Heimdall Construction will do the build.
Powell River Mayor Dave Formosa said the idea started when Gao and his father wanted to manufacture small aircraft at the site, and when a deal to buy a manufacturing company they were after fell apart the Gaos decided to build anyways because space is limited at many Lower Mainland airports.
“We are so fortunate to find such a partner,” said Formosa. “I’m excited to see that we’ve finally got here.”
Gaoshi Holdings invests in projects in different sectors across B.C., including ski resorts, hotels, real estate and aircraft chartering. Gao and his father felt the Powell River airport was a good site to develop.
“The development of this industrial land will bring more job positions to Powell River focusing on aircraft storage, maintenance, transit service, pilot training workshops and more,” explained Gao. “The development is separated into four phases which will take approximately six to eight years to complete. This will be a long-term development with the city, generating stable and continuous growth.”
The aircraft hangar will have three levels and nearly 20,000 square feet of space, enough to house small propeller plans and mid-sized jets. It will be used for maintenance and service work and have office space and a parts shop.
The conference centre will be about 11,000 square feet and have a split-level, open-concept layout. It has been designed so it can be used for different types of functions.
“We believe having a multi-function building is crucial in the success of this project,” said Gao. “As such, we have utilized a traveller accommodation concept when it comes to the design of this conference centre. Whether it be hosting a conference or community event, or even an expo or a trade show, the idea for this building is to accommodate the demand for different functions such as coffee shops, a restaurant, souvenir shops, meeting space and meetings for future clients and more.”
The company has employed a West Coast-style approach in the design of the conference centre and incorporated a generous amount of wooden arch beams accented with metal and glass elements, said Gao.
“This beautiful modern design features a raw and natural surface of a West Coast cabin, mixed with walls of glazing, vaulted ceilings and an open architectural concept,” he said. “We hope this concept can create an attractive entry point for those who come into the city by air and that might be looking to do business here.”
Gao said the building will feature high-performance, insulated glass panels, low-flow plumbing fixtures to reduce water consumption and drought-resistant plants around the exterior.
The conference centre will also have a light-coloured metal roof and special membrane to reduce heat in summer. There will be electric vehicle charging stations for visitors.
The city’s director of planning services, Thomas Knight, said planners support the development because of the quality of the design and the fact it will provide a “real sense of arrival” for visitors to the city. He noted travellers will be greeted with a state-of-the-art building when they arrive at the airport.
City Councillor Jim Palm said when he first heard about the project he was taken aback at the extent of investment proposed by Gaoshi Holdings in Powell River.
“I see this as one of the giant steps forward for our community, putting that pathway to visitors and people that are visiting our city and seeing that, yeah, maybe this isn’t just a quiet, little secluded community, maybe it’s got a future. This is a great example of what that could be when people come here for the first time. We really much appreciate phase one and look forward to phase two, three and four,” he said.
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