Business owners and developers looking to put down roots in Okotoks have a new tool in their arsenal to plan out potential locations.
The Town of Okotoks has launched a virtual reality platform, with VRchitect, which allows investors to take a tour of Town-owned land in the business park to see how their businesses fit into the community’s industrial area.
Its focus is primarily on lots in the east end of Okotoks ready for light industrial development.
“This is exciting. There’s a lot of great stuff going on right now and I’m really excited with the potential,” said Colleen Thome, Okotoks economic development manager.
She said there are currently two ways to use the program – a video and a more immersive exploration via an app that allows the user to manipulate vantage points from street level to aerial and change from daylight to night skies.
A full virtual reality experience using VR glasses will be offered at the Okotoks Municipal Centre once COVID-19 restrictions have lifted, she said.
The program is intended to prove the Town’s commitment to innovation in order to attract innovative business, she said.
“This virtual reality product is sort of the first step, to get that out in the public that we’re using innovative new means to get our message out, to provide a vision to inspire developers about what’s possible,” said Thome.
She said the program can be flexible and allow the Town to work with prospective investors to see how their business would fit.
The VR program is just one of many initiatives in the arena of innovation, said Thome, including the new Municipal Development Plan that went to public hearing on Sept. 18 and received second reading, and a rewrite of the Town’s land-use bylaw, which will go out for public engagement this fall.
There are also some other unique projects in the works, she said.
“We’re working on a project to incorporate technology into way-finding and gateway signage, and trying to bring more people into the downtown and to other commercial areas,” said Thome.
In addition, the Town is working on an electronic permitting system to make the application process more efficient and seamless, she said.
Many of the current initiatives were derived from a series of round-table discussions between the Town’s economic development team and representatives from industry sectors last year, she said.
There is also a recognition on the Town’s part that it must demonstrate innovation and flexibility in order to help businesses recover and attract new commercial and industrial development, she said.
“We’ve heard the businesses and we’re moving forward, we want to be flexible and innovative,” said Thome. “Okotoks is open for business, we’re looking to engage with our businesses and developers who are ready to take the next step with us into innovation.”
For more information visit www.okotoks.ca
Krista Conrad, OkotoksToday.ca
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