The Olds Institute for Community and Regional Development (OI)has been recently approved for $82,500.00 in funding under the provincial government’s Rural Community Adaptation Program. These funds will be used to draft an eco-industrial feasability plan for the town. The terms of reference for the study are now being prepared with the expectation that the Request For Proposals from the private sector will be available in the near future. In my view this hopefuly will lead to the creation of some serviced industrial land that currently is in short supply in town.
Olds Eco-Industrial Park Feasablity Study
June 25, 2011
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Posted by ghbodmer
Olds Industrial Land Investment Highlights
July 9, 2010Timing
The subject property( 95.8 acres) is currently considered Industrial with an area structure plan completed. This land is ready to be developed into an Industrial Park now.
Access
The property is located within Olds Town limits. Olds is one of the most forward-thinking communities in the province of Alberta. This specific parcel of land is located on Highway 2A, 5 kms West of Highway 2 and just a few blocks South of Highway 27, making the location superb for highway access. This corridor between Calgary, Red Deer and Edmonton is expected to be one of the strongest growth areas in Alberta in the years to come.
Pricing
This property is priced aggressively given the fact that it is ready for development. A Buyer can anticipate a very positive reception from Olds in reference to this development. In fact, we expect that the Town of Olds will more than co-operative and willing to work closely with an interested developer. This land is being offered at just under $32,500 per acre.
Information Package:
We have created a very informative investment package that we can provide to buyers. Contact me at 403 556 0262 or Tom Sherry at 403 689 1548.
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Posted by ghbodmer
Just Listed 95 Acres of Bare Industial Land in Olds
July 9, 2010We have just listed 95.8 acres of bare land in Olds for Industrial purposes. The property lies wholly with in the East Olds Industrial Area Structure Plan. Municipal services are available to the property line at 60 St. and 48 Ave. It has visible access to Highway 2A and adjoins the existing industrial park.
Olds is a community that given its location just 45 minutes north of Calgary, it is poised for growth.Others have seen it as the new Cornerstone development features among others: WalMart,Sobeys,Canadian Tire, Mark’s Work Wear House , Tim Hortons, Staples.
The town has recentlyannexed 900 acres of land which has resulted in new residential developments.
The new Community Economic Development Officer is now in place to support development initiatives.
The community is exploring a town wide Fibre Optic Cable Network for all businesses and residents. This implications of this connectivity is mind boggling as it further demonstrate the fact that ‘I do not know what I do not know” in regards to the potential of the Fibre Optic network and how will enhance this industrial land opportunity.
A bonus feature is that the parcel is located adjacent to Olds Colege with all its inherent possibilities for training, consulting, applied research , and exposure to industrial partnership opportunities.The property is also ideally suited for an Eco Industial Park , the concept for which is supported by the Olds Sustainablity Strategic Plan.
I have the recent good fortune of having partnered with Tom Sherry of CIR in Calgary to co- list and help market this great Industrial Land Opportunity.
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Posted by ghbodmer
Supernet
January 30, 2010Olds Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) Project Launches
The Olds Institute Technology Committee has initiated the FTTP project. in Olds. With the intent of making the dream of a SuperNet connected community a reality. The FTTP is a 100% fibre –optic based communications network for local residential and business customers. Fibre-optics are very tiny strands of glass/plastic that are bundled into cables and used to transmit information coded in pulses of light. The network is proposed to be installed through out the community by burying cable in the ground and hanging cable on utility poles. It will be built past every home and business in the Town of Olds.
The Network will provide customers with access to the triple play of voice( telephone) video/television and internet. The Networks chief advantages are expected to be interms of improved quality of services, expanded HDTV channel offerings, and faster internet downloading and uploading for much the same cost as existing providers. The Olds Institute is currently working with a number of licensed service providers.
At this time, the Institute has retained the services of Fiopt Communication Services which is a network planning and design and consulting firm specializing in fibre optic networks. http://oldsinstitute.com/
So what does this mean for Olds? Here is one persons opinion (mine)
Our community’s vision to be recognized as a premier centre for entrepreneurial and small business growth will be driven in a large part by technology. We have attracted major funding to create a Centre of Excellence at the Community Learning Centre (visit the Bell e-learning centre during this spring’s Olds College Open House) to get a sense of what this facility brings to our community in capacity. Next we need to embrace the concept of serving a trade area that goes well beyond our immediate municipal or trade area boundaries. Taking major steps to make connectivity a reality within our community is an investment that is both well timed and necessary if we are to transcend our “small rural market” and springboard to a richer economy that allows people to live and thrive in rural Alberta while selling and doing business with the country and world. If you would like more information on this project and others, visit the Olds Institute link provided.
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Posted by ghbodmer
New Community Economic Development Officer for Olds
August 13, 2009The Olds Institute for Community and Regional Development has announced the hiring of Gail Scott to be the new economic development officer. She comes to Olds with over 20 years of experience in both public and private sector regional economic development.She was most recently with Venture Kamploops as the chief executive officer.
This type of experience will be of great benefit as she will effectively be creating her own job description which will reflect the demands of this new position. Local and regional collaboration is a key element of the Olds Institute mission. Accordingly she is quoted as saying ‘We have to develop a model that will incorporate community and regional stakeholder partnerships…..strategic planning that will look at how we can attract and build more industry” .She also noted that the Fibre -to- the- Premises project will be a key component of drawing more business and residents to Town..
She starts work on August 17 and will have offices in the Town Office and she can be reached at 403 556 6981.
As the former Director Of Economic Development for the Town from 1988 to 1993, I can say her appointment is timely and long over due. Gail is well qualified to assist in the implementation of the strategic mission of the Old Institute.
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Posted by ghbodmer
Olds Approves New Residential Subdivision
May 21, 2009Town Council has recently given approval for further planning and the first phase of construction on the “Richardson” subdivision located in a recently annexed portion of south west Olds. Phase one of the Area Structure Plan that has now been adopted which will allow for the new Catholic School and related collector roads.
In addition phase two calls for the development of 109 housing units. The remaining phases provide for the staged development of approximatley 870 residential units comprising the various densities associated with Ri,R2. and R3 zoning. This sub division has a ten to 15 year development horizon.
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Olds Fibre to Premise Test Project
May 21, 2009The Olds Institute for Community and Regional Development(OICRD) through its Technology Committe is proposing a test project for later this summer. The test purpose is two fold. Firstly it will allow for the laying of a quarter inch pipe rather than the more conventional two inch pipe. By testing the pipe size which contains the the fibre cable the Committee can determine the technical and financial feasibility of using the smaller pipe for the entire project.
Secondly the test also will enable the Committee to evaluate the performance of the construction and management team that has been chosen . It will also give the Committee an accurate gauge for the entire project.
One of the underlying principles of the The Fibre to the Premise intiative is that the community will own the fibre infrastructure and that the Technology Committee will actively seek an internet service provider (ISP) that would provide broadband internet access. It is anticipated that the ISP would pay for using the fibre highway and the Committee is in negotiations with a number of providers. In addition by owning the Network the community will be in a more advantageous position to advance the Towns economic and social amenities to the Canadian market place.
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Olds & District Marketplace and Lifestyle Show May2&3
April 27, 2009This annual trade show is jointly hosted by the Olds Agricultural Society and the Olds & District Chamber of Commerce. It will be held Saturday,May02 from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm as well as Sunday, May03 from 12 noon to 5:00 pm at the Olds Sportsplex located at 5133-52 St. Olds.Ab. The admission is $4.00 per person with children five and under FREE.
Food and beverages will be available on site at The Olds Kiwanis Club’s concession. I will working at the concession from noon to three both days so come on down and visit me at the Trade Fair. See you there!!
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Posted by ghbodmer
Potential Economic Development and Real Estate Impacts of Olds FTTP Project
April 23, 2009So what does this mean for Olds? Here is one persons opinion (mine)
My technology motto/credo is “I do not know what I do not know” but intuitively I believe the Fiber to the Premises project (FTTP) means the potential for a huge internet play for Olds residents and businesses and has tremendous economic development potential for the town and trading area.
My reasoning is based upon five years of direct involvement through being a founding member on the Board of the Olds Institute for Community and Regional Development (OI). The FTTP project is the brain child of the OI Technology Committee and has been championed by Joe Gustafson as chair. The FTTP network, with its huge bandwidth and speed of uploading and downloading will provide Olds with the ability to have the triple play of voice, data and video at our door step. It will be up to us as individuals or businesses to capitalize on it and explore “what we do not know.”
The potential economic development impacts as I see them can be seen as follows:
- It could give Olds a leg up in terms of strategic advantage for the Town as compared to any community on Alberta’s “Highway 2 Corridor.”
- It could gives OI the opportunity to create a technology based cluster of development (i.e Sillicon flats). The cluster could include both technolgy driven companies as well as those companies that need exposure to new technologies to enhance their productivity;
- It could provide the impetus for the development of some sort of unique incubation/commercialization entity for small and medium size business (SME’s) and supported by the development of an Angel/Venture Capital network (again the Sillicon Flats example).
- It could provide Olds with the opportunity to further capitalize on the graduates of the School of Innovation at Olds College.
Based on these concepts, the Business and Investment Attraction Committee (of OI) of which I am the chair, is currently exploring how we might promote this fiber capability based on the premises of location, location, location and may be seen as follows
- In terms of proximity to the Calgary Internation Airport (45 minutes away), we could prospect businessess who benefit from both technology and easy access to national and internation travel.
- Prospecting the Corridor market from Calgary to Edmonton for the entreprenerus that can utilize the benefits of fiber connectivity.
- Exploring how the local real estate market could be impacted positively by this connectivity in terms of increased economic activity created by companies and indivudals moving to Olds.
– Opportunity for the ‘Youth’ to grow and flourish or return to Olds as residents, employees or entrepreneurs.
According to Joe Gustafson ‘the Olds Fiber to the Home (FTTH)project will provide a future-proof telecom infrastructure so Olds residents can obtain the latest Small Office/Home Office and entertainment services and the fastest residential and business Internet service in Canada. The network will be designed to accommodate more than one voice, data and entertainment service provider. A study of the US FTTH market found the average homeowner sees FTTH being worth an additional $4000-$7000 (US) per home in the future resale value of a home.”
- In my view the FTTP can become our ‘economic oyster” as its benefits will contribute to our quality of life. This means that living in a small town does not automatically disqualify any one from the latest of technology but perhaps in fact give access to the leading edge, rather than ‘sucking the hind tit (translation availabe for those of non-agricultural background) which has historically been our fate.
- Opportunity for the ‘Youth’ to grow and flourish or return to Olds as residents, employees or entrepreneurs.
I may be dreaming but I believe this will be Olds’ opportunity to leap forward.
These are just of my opinions.
Your thoughts and ideas are welcome.
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Posted by ghbodmer
Olds AB Fiber To The Premises (FTTP) Project Launches
April 22, 2009The Olds Institute for Community and Regional Development, through its Technology Committee, has initiated the FTTP project in Olds, with the intent of making the dream of a SuperNet connected community a reality. The FTTP is a 100% fibre-optic based communications network for local residential and business customers. Fiber-optics are very tiny strands of glass/plastic that are bundled into cables and used to transmit information coded in pulses of light. The network is proposed to be installed throughout the community by burying cable in the ground and hanging cable on utility poles. It will be built past every home and business in the Town of Olds.
The Network willl provide customers with access to the triple play of voice (telephone) video/television and internet. The Networks chief advantages are expected to be in terms of improved quality of services, expanded HDTV channel offwerings and faster internet downloading and uploading for much the same cost as existing providers. The Technolgy Committee is currently working with a number of licensed internet service providers.
At this time, the Institute has retained the services of FIOPT Communication Services which is a network planning and design and consulting firm specializing in fibre optic networks to design the Olds Network. “The FIOPT contract will provide the Committee with accurate numbers on the total meters of conduit and fiber required for the network, plus details on the actual number of single family residences, multi family facilities and businessess, both store front and home based operations,” states Chairman Joe Gustafson. “This will allow us to move quickly to obtaining firm quotations for the actual installation work, hopefully commencing later this spring.” For further information see http://www.oldsinstitute.com/tech.html
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