Chilliwack council to vote on Red Bull development Tuesday

The applicant has petitioned the City of Chilliwack for approval of the form and character of a new industrial development within the subject property at 8190 Brannick Place, located just off Yale Road not far from the Molson Coors brewing plant in Chilliwack.

City staff recommend that council approve the issuance of the development variance permit, subject to the recommendations of the Design Review Advisory Committee and the regulations in the draft development permit.

It should be noted that this application for a development variance permit is not a development permit in and of itself. If the company does not substantially start any construction on the Brannick Place property allowed by the permit within two years of the date of the permit, the permit then expires.

Development plans call for a new 4-storey totaling 18,784m² of industrial space, or 202,189 square feet, and a future expansion area that would add 7,600m² (81,805 square feet) of warehouse space and 56 parking spaces. Until this expanded area is actually constructed, it will be landscaped as a planted meadow, according to a city staff report from planner Adam Roberts.

The staff report also reveals the facility will contain equipment and processes that generally require a 17-metre clear interior height within the warehouse. As a result, Roberts noted in his staff report, the warehouse portion of the building is a single floor, while the remainder of the building includes up to four floors.

Given the relative proximity of the property to the nearby Chilliwack Airport, the applicant has reviewed the proposed height with a geomatic consultant to ensure it meets the Transport Canada airport zoning ordinances under the Aeronautics Act. To ensure the proposed building does not exceed the maximum height permitted, a survey, to be conducted by a B.C. land surveyor, will be mandated prior to the issuance of a building permit, as well as after construction, to ensure the proposed height is not exceeded.

Image: Omicron AEC via City of Chilliwack / Another view of the proposed Red Bull facility in Chilliwack.

In February 2023, following an extensive Canadian site selection process, the Chilliwack Economic Partners Corporation and City of Chilliwack jointly announced that Red Bull had chosen Chilliwack for a major new facility investment in support of its North American expansion plans.

In a news release from the two agencies, CEPCO and the City of Chilliwack supported the Red Bull Global Operations team during their due diligence efforts to determine the optimum Canadian location for their significant new investment.

The new Red Bull facility will be located on a 15-acre property on Brannick Place in the Chilliwack Food and Beverage Processing Park; the property is presently assessed at $36 million by B.C. Assessment. The facility will produce a premix of high-quality ingredients used in all Red Bull energy drinks. Currently, the formula is produced in Austria, and the Chilliwack location will be the only other facility in the world to provide premix ingredients required to meet high global demand.

“Red Bull’s decision to set up shop in Chilliwack is a fantastic investment for our community,” Mayor Ken Popove said in February 2023. “On behalf of Council, I would like to thank CEPCO’s leadership for their hard work on this project and thank Red Bull for choosing Chilliwack. We are excited to have them here!”

The city and CEPCO say Chilliwack has earned a reputation as an excellent business location, due to an accessible and extensive road and rail transportation network, and the proximity of the Port of Vancouver and Sumas-Huntingdon border crossing. This, combined with Chilliwack’s business friendly approach to investment attraction, a skilled workforce, and a high quality of life in a scenic setting that aligns well with the overall Red Bull brand helped make it a good fit, the city and CEPCO said in a joint statement.

“CEPCO has been supporting Red Bull for almost a year as they searched for the right location to invest,” said Brian Coombes, CEPCO president, in February 2023. “This good economic news is a great way to start 2023, as this new facility represents more jobs and an expanded corporate tax base for our growing community.”

Following the selection of Chilliwack for its industrial expansion and the property acquisition, continued project planning and development preparations would occur during the remainder of 2023 in the lead up to the start of construction in 2024. It’s not known if construction is still slated to commence in 2024.

Dietrich Mateschitz founded Red Bull in the mid-1980s. He developed not only a new product, but also a unique marketing concept, and launched Red Bull Energy Drink in Austria on April 1, 1987. A completely new product category was born – caffeinated energy drinks. Red Bull launched in Canada in 2004, 17 years after the first can of Red Bull was sold in Austria. Today, Red Bull operates within 175 countries selling over 10 billion cans annually and growing. It employs over 15,000 employees.

by Mike Vanden Bosch

Chilliwack council to vote on Red Bull development Tuesday

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