By Weekly News Staff
Plans for Bedford's newest residential community and business park were publicly unveiled last week.
Billed as the newest and largest planned community in Atlantic Canada, The Parks of West Bedford lands are located between Kearney Lake and the Hammonds Plains Road on the periphery of Highway 102 in Halifax.
The 1,300-acre, 25-year planned community is already under construction and will grow to include West Bedford Business Park and five residential neighbourhoods housing 18,000 people in 6,000 units.
"A community like no other, The Parks of West Bedford is designed so that people can live and work within the same community and connect to work, home and services via bike, walking/running trails and internal roads," said Richard Miller, president of West Bedford Holdings Ltd.
The developers are using green building materials and sustainable design practices in what is the first combined suburban office park and residential community in metro Halifax.
Phase one of the development includes West Bedford Business Park and the first of five residential parks, Stonington Park.
The residential portion of the development will feature various fully serviced housing styles, including single-family, townhouses and condominiums. They'll offer leading-edge designs and energy-efficient building techniques. The first single-family lots in Stonington Park will be available in the Spring of 2010.
The Parks of West Bedford is expected to generate over $80 million in revenue and 600 "people years" in direct and indirect employment in each of the first five years of construction.
"We've listened to the needs and expectations of the community and incorporated their values into this development so that it features progressive land development practices and environmentally protective covenants," said Miller.
"Our vision is to build a distinct community that comprises the most advanced residential building techniques and materials and has a lower environmental impact."
West Bedford Business Park adjoins Research in Motion's new state-of-the-art Technical Support Centre. Construction has already begun on:
l the entrance to Stonington Park at Gary Martin Drive
l the widening and lowering of Hammonds Plains Road
l Northwood Continuing Care Centre (opening Spring 2010)
l the new quad pad rink facility at the corner of Gary Martin Drive and Hammonds Plains Road to be opened in September 2010.
West Bedford Holdings Ltd. is a partnership between Clayton Developments Ltd. and Cresco.
For drawings and visuals of the development, visit www.theparksofwestbedford.ca.
