24 - Sunday, July 29, 1990 - North Shore News _ ‘Town WHILE THE availability of industrial land continues to be a pressing issue for expanding local high-tech companies, the long-term industry outlook is optimistic as more com- puter and film-oriented companies choose to call the North Shore home. Two years ago, the North Shore Economic Development Commis- sion first floated the idea of surveying North Shore high-tech industry. The project resulted in a round of pulse-taking, a directory, and guidelines for a game plan to attract clean and profitable money makers to the North Shore. 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As NSEDC economic develop- ment officer Bonnie Pyplacz surveys the scene today from her office she sees cncouraging devel- opments. She agrees that land availability is still a big issue, but points to initiatives such as North Vancouver District's McNaughton Business Park as a concrete ex- ample of aa attempt to alleviate the lack of options for companies secking industria} land. “The McNaughton site is locaied about two blocks behind the Avalon Hotel, seuth of Marine cn a cul-de-sac, It has 12 lots in one area and cight lots in another. It went to tender earlier but saw little action. The district is now advertising again and has had a lot of activity on it,” Pyplacz said. This time last year industrial land prices were rising as rapidly as residential prices. 7 _ Future of high-tech industry looks good “You were looking at a 20 per cent increase per year in industrial land prices. A lot of people were buying at the top end because there were no options. For exam- ple, B.C. Hydro paid for their new service centre on East Keith in the old Kodak plant on the order of $30 per square foot of land,”’ she said. With the economy cooled down somewhat Pyplacz said companies are taking a closer look at moving into areas such as the McNaughton site. Computer-basec business ac- counts for much of the high-tech growth witnessed over the past two years. The most conspicuous is a company called Mission Cyrus. Just moved into the Capilano business park, Mission Cyrus is involved in high-end computer hardware design, assembly and NSEDC economic development officer Bonnie Pypiacz ...exodus curbed. sales. And three leading North Shore high-tech companies are stepping onto the world stage. Notes Pyplacz: ‘Ballard, Off- shore Systems and {International Hard Suits are making the leap from being really well known to becoming an international presence.’” Hospital plans massive expansion From page 23 the development of the eastern campus of the hospital on the proposed St. Andrews site which will be the eventual home of the extended care unit, boosting the The number of extended care beds to 469 from 294. The eastern campus will also be the home for most mental health programs, including some new ones that may be added as a result ind Security Channel CHECK CHANNEL 59 BEFORE YOU OPEN YOUR DOOR. Simply turn your TV to CHANNEL 59° to see who is at the front door requesting entry to your suite. * Converter may be required of the provincial government’s policy of decentralizing mental health services. Both the extended care and mental health services will be well-served by the less institutional environment of the eastern cam- pus. “They tend to lend themselves to a campus, park-like environ- ment. We see that we can plan the physical structure so that they’re absorbed into a more residential structure than what you see here which is more of a rigid, industri- al structure,”’ Smith says. Linked to the eastern campus by an underground tunnel (which will increase LGH’s total number of hospital parking spaces to 937 from 575), is the current campus where phase two of the master plan will be focused. Phase two involves the building of the new acute tower which will not only meet building codes (the current tower mects approximately 35 per cent of existing building codes), but will also enable people and materials to circulate more efficiently through the tower. The number of acute-care beds would rise by 60 beds to 475 from 415. , The third and final stage of the plan calls for the existing build- ings to be modified so they comp- ly with building codes. This may require the demolition of the up- per floors of the main building and the renovation of the remain- ing buildings. The master plan has not yet been developed into building plans. Smith says it is still a broad-based, conceptual plan open to public input. “| envision that we will, in 10 years from now, be providing a quality hospital service consistent with the needs of the North Shore. It won't be a Taj Mahal because you can’t build Taj Mahals any more on_ hospital dollars. Major films shot From page 22 first. quarter of 1990 — down about 25 per cent over the same period last year — he expects production levels will exceed last year’s if things continue at their present level of activity. “~ don't think anyone GATSE members) will be in need for awhile,"’ he said.