Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Industrial parks provide significant investment opportunity and can be a mix of heavy industry with business and office. In continuation of my series on industrial parks, today I will be examining the Southwell Industrial Park in Welland.
Situated in the southwest end of the City of Welland is the Southwell Industrial Park. The park is located at the south end of the surrounding neighbourhood which includes Broadway to the north, the Welland Recreational Waterway to the east, Humberstone Road (Highway 58A) to the south, and Feeder Road to the west. Prince Charles Drive is the major connecting road running north, south of the property. The park features facilities that are both large and small in size and include a variety of industry uses.
Features of the Area
The industrial park occupies both the central and south end of the neighbourhood, an established low density residential neighbourhood is located in the northwest end. East of the park is the site of the Welland International Flatwater Centre (WIFC) along the Welland Recreational Waterway. The development of WIFC was a major project that included widening of the canal to accommodate international competition standards and improvement to on-site amenities. Construction of the WIFC, in preparation for the Toronto 2015 Pan AM Games, began in 2012, the centre will also be home to the World Dragon Racing Championships in August of 2015. The total economic impact of all events at the centre between 2011-2014 was over $80 million, expect to see this number grow in the future.
Growth in the Area
There are a several vacant parcels within the industrial park and the immediate area is considered to be in a state of modest growth. However, there aren’t any major changes planned in the short term. Several car dealerships have vacated the area in favour or relocating to the Niagara Street commercial corridor. If the WIFC continues to bring major sporting events to the City this section of Welland will continue to hold it's appeal for industry.
To learn more about other industrial parks within the Niagara region, take a look at my earlier blogs.
