The City of Williams Lake is excited to announce its plans to bid on the vacant former Poplar Glade property on Eleventh Avenue, following School District 27’s request for offers earlier this month.
If successful, the City’s focus is on timely development to address the critical shortage of available housing in Williams Lake.
In 2021, a joint housing study commissioned by the City of Williams Lake and Cariboo Regional District identified the need for 800 new housing units within a decade. The study recognized the property at Poplar Glade as the primary site of opportunity to address the community’s housing shortage.
The City has been actively preparing for the site to become available since initial discussions with School District 27 began in 2019. The Province recently released the property to the school district for sale, and the school district will adjudicate the proposal process and make the final decision.
Mayor Walt Cobb said the City is looking forward to working with any developer or partner that shares Council’s vision to increase the City’s housing stock.
“We are keenly aware of the dire need for housing in Williams Lake,” Cobb said. “The situation impacts the entire community, and the Poplar Glade property presents an extremely valuable opportunity to increase quality housing to support our existing population and prepare for growth. We believe the best way to ensure timely development at this site is for the City to acquire the property.”
As it is a competitive bidding process, details on the City’s offer will not be disclosed until the school district makes its decision public.
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Media contact:
Gary Muraca, Chief Administrative Officer
gmuraca@williamslake.ca
Phone: 250.392-1775
City Hall: 250.392.2311