(File photo: Tim Durkin/Quinte News)
The Sears Distribution Centre in Belleville’s industrial park has been sold, and a lot of jobs are coming to the area.
City Manager of Economic Development Karen Poste says Quebec real estate developer Group Mach acquired the College Street building, from the receiver of the Sears property.
The company has also leased 500,000 square feet, or about one quarter of the site to HEXO Corp., a public company that manufactures high end marijuana based products.
Poste says the city has been working with Group Mach since May.
She says there has also been lots of discussion and opportunity for other groups to lease the remaining 1.5 million square feet.
Bay of Quinte MPP Todd Smith tells Quinte News that HEXO will bring about 250 jobs to the area, with about one-third of them being over $50 thousand a year.
He adds that there is a potential for more jobs, as there is a Joint Venture Agreement with Molson Coors to produce cannabis beverages in the future.
Belleville city council would need to approve a re-zoning of the property for this to happen.
HEXO’s co-founder and CEO Sebastien St-Louis says there is a skilled workforce in the Belleville area, and they are looking forward to capturing it.
The intention is to build what they call a research and development and manufacturing centre of excellence
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(File photo: Quinte News )
