The Town of Qualicum Beach has signed an agreement to sell an acre of land for the development of a new grocery store, residential units and onsite parking on the former bus garage property.
The town agreed to sell the acre to Naked Naturals Whole Foods for $2.75 million, but will retain over one acre of land for the development of public amenities, according to a town news release.
“Naked Naturals offered the best price, legal certainty, design flexibility and a commitment to the transparent public process that must be followed moving forward. The town is pleased to work with Naked Naturals as they expand their business and create a special place for everyone to enjoy,” said Mayor Brian Wiese.
The town said the decision to sell the piece of land was made after a four-month public procurement process, where it explored the best value from applicants. Town staff said Naked Naturals offered the greatest certainty — it placed key commitments in written form as part of the purchase agreement.
The agreement includes the town retaining 62 per cent of the total land on the location — for parking and amenities such as a public square, pavilion or theatre. Council reserved up to $1 million from the sale to go toward these amenities, according to the news release.
Staff said the town will engage residents and stakeholders to explore potential developments on its portion of the land as it finalizes the development configuration.
The land being sold is located between the intersections of Fern Road West, Memorial Avenue and Fourth Avenue West, the town said the exact configuration is yet to be determined.
“Naked Naturals Whole Foods is grateful for this opportunity. We look forward to working with the Town of Qualicum Beach to create something special that we can all be proud of, and to better serve our hometown,” said Kris Baker and Jordan Batey, owners of Naked Naturals.
Naked Naturals will submit a full development application, which will require a public zoning amendment application and development permit review. The town said members of the public will have multiple opportunities to comment throughout the development review process.
