Steinbach Land Holdings has announced it is going ahead immediately with a new commercial subdivision along Highway #12, just north of Big Freight. It will be called the Steinbach North Business Park. Spokesperson Bob Schinkel made the announcement Wednesday at the site, across the highway from Trucks Unlimited.

"We've got a 17-lot subdivision going in here. The first phase is going to have seven commercial lots, kind of a big demand item in Steinbach today, so we're really excited about it."

Schinkel says the project will include the development of a new intersection on Highway #12 in front of Trucks Unlimited. He says the intersection will be designed for signal lights but, to start, it will have stop signs for traffic that wants to turn onto the highway. Manitoba Infrastructure will pay 50% of the intersection construction costs.

Jean Klassen, another spokesperson, says the intersection work will start immediately with completion in about five months. She adds they also hope to have phase one of the business park completed by then.

Map showing the plan for the business park and the new intersection.

"It should be done, probably, by the end of the year. Maybe the roads will be paved, maybe they won't, depending on the winter. We're hoping for a long, dry fall and, if that happens, the whole thing should be in place. In the coming weeks, you're going to see the intersection work taking place. That's going to affect the public the most, probably."

Klassen adds the seven lots in phase one will all be along the highway.

Mike Fast of Royal Lepage, who is marketing the business park, says they did some test marketing last year and got a lot of interest.

"We were really pleased with the amount of interest that came. Lots of new businesses were looking at coming into Steinbach that wanted highway frontage with high visibility and also other guys who were looking to expand, who have their portfolio in our community where, maybe, they're not in high visibility areas now but they want to come into an area where they are really visible and they want to grow that business."

The first three phases of the business park will cover 48 acres. Schinkel says there are another 50 acres on the west side of the property that will be developed in the future as demand warrants.