The proponents behind the newest light industrial park in Kamloops took another step forward by holding a ground breaking ceremony Wednesday morning.

Comet Industries is working on a 190-acre industrial park between Sugarloaf Road and Bowers Place, near where the Coquihalla Highway and Trans-Canada Highway meet.

“The journey to establish the Iron Mask Industrial Park has been a long and complex process, involving a piece of land with a rich and significant history,” Comet Industries President and CEO, Mike O’Reilly said.

“Over the past decade, we’ve closely listened to the feedback from our community. It’s become increasingly clear that there’s a significant demand from business owners in Kamloops to expand and for new businesses wanting to put down roots in Kamloops. What we are initiating today with this groundbreaking is in response to this – a meticulously planned project to meet these diverse light industrial needs.”

“Some of the things can go in there will be construction companies, truck-travel centers, distribution warehousing, a laboratory, contracting service companies,” O’Reilly told Radio NL in an interview on Wednesday after the ground breaking.

He says they hope to create as many as 75 different plots where light-industry companies can establish their operations, saying they don’t see themselves competing with Tk’emlúps or others for clients.

“You could also talk about the Airport industrial park as well. That’s going to be a very different product from Iron Mask, from TteS,” O’Reilly said, on NL Newsday. “I believe there is a lot of demand in the community for all three types of parks.”

He also noted the Iron Mask site will have an apartment-style facility where custodians for the various companies will be able to stay permanently.

O’Reilly – a Kamloops City Councillor, who has been recusing himself on discussions pertaining to industrial parks or development cost charges – says both Brendan Shaw of Brendan Shaw Real Estate and Blake Gozda of Cushman & Wakefield have joined the project as the real estate sales team.

“For many years in Kamloops, there has been a huge demand for light industrial land and space that is built to suit, with exceptional access to major transportation corridors. It is exciting to see this new light industrial park built in Kamloops, marking a significant step forward for further strengthening our economy, providing the space for businesses to grow,” Gozda said, in a statement.

“With Iron Mask Industrial Park, we will not just see immediate job creation as a result of the development and construction phases, but the project will contribute to the longer-term economic health of Kamloops and surrounding areas,” Shaw added, noting the demand for light industrial space “will be a catalyst for the local economy.”

“Our goal is to provide the space or create built-to-suit opportunities that support existing businesses in their expansion efforts and welcomes new enterprises to our community.”

Wednesday’s groundbreaking ceremony comes about a year after the City unanimously approved a rezoning application for the development of the Iron MaskIindustrial Park.

Comet Industries is currently seeking input from prospective future tenants and stakeholders via an online survey. It says it hopes to use the feedback to “fine-tune” the development to meet the needs of the businesses it hopes to attract.

O’Reilly previously told Radio NL that this will be the first light industrial park in the City in 25 years, with expectations that tenants may be able to start moving in by the end of next year.

– With files from Paul James