The chief and council of the Tsawwassen First Nation are planning a 1.8-million-square-foot shopping mall on their reserve, raising alarm bells for neighbours and some fellow band members.
Three years ago, the First Nation was given the right to govern its reserve and about 400 hectares of neighbouring property. The proposed shopping complex would cover an area similar in size to Metrotown in Burnaby, and band officials believe building it would help create economic sustainability.
"At this point it's shops, but there is opportunities for entertainment, restaurants and even potentially a hotel," nation CEO Chris Hartman told CTV News.
"The idea is that people who work here will live here and can walk to work."
Diversification is a good strategy for the complex, according to David Bell, a retail analyst for Colliers International.
"The challenge is always to create some differentiation, a sense of destination. They're looking at ... making it more of a multi-use destination for people, so it's not a single shopping centre use. They're looking at rounding out the appeal," Bell said.
But some Tsawwassen residents are worried about watching valuable farmland disappear.
"It's good land. They've got young people that would profit tremendously from being able to go into the agricultural industry. To me, it's just a very sad waste of a resource that is disappearing," said Debbie McBride, who has lived in Tsawwassen for 28 years.
And even a few band members are concerned about how a mall would affect the character of the area.
"What we're used to, to quietness and the birds and the geese and the wildlife, I think it's going to be disrupted completely," reserve resident Bertha Williams said.
Band members are set to vote on the plan next week. If the mall proposal is approved, construction would begin by the end of this year, with completion scheduled for 2015.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Jina You
