Bayers Lake Business Park
Coordinates: 44°39′0″N 63°40′27″W / 44.65000°N 63.67417°W
Bayers Lake Business Park is a business park in Halifax, Nova Scotia west of Clayton Park.
History
The property was developed in the 1960s by the Government of Nova Scotia through the Crown corporation Industrial Estates Limited. The facility was named Bayers Lake Industrial Park and was served by CN Rail's Chester Subdivision rail line running from Halifax to Yarmouth as well as Highway 102 and Highway 103. For the first two decades the industrial park housed various trucking, distribution and manufacturing operations, including Volvo Halifax Assembly.
The industrial park began a gradual transition into a business/retail park in the early 1990s. The first major development occurred when the United States warehouse store chain Price Club (currently a Costco) established a retail store on a westward extension of Lacewood Drive which was called Chain Lakes Drive. Additional big box development followed with the establishment of a Kent Building Supplies, followed by a Kmart (subsequently redeveloped as a Zellers, then a Target, now a Canadian Tire), and an Atlantic Superstore. The popularity of the new retail outlets at Bayers Lake Industrial Park, or "BLIP" as it was popularly referred to by locals, was apparent.
The provincial government transferred ownership and operation of the property to Halifax Regional Municipality in the late 1990s which saw the property renamed to Bayers Lake Business Park. Further development occurred when Empire Theatres selected Bayers Lake for the establishment of the largest theatre multiplex in Atlantic Canada (16 screens + 1 IMAX); the multiplex is currently operated by Cineplex Entertainment. The multiplex development led to an expansion in restaurants and other retail outlets.
Bayers Lake Business Park presently occupies over 2.36 square kilometres (580 acres) and is mostly retail with a declining manufacturing and logistics presence. The property is administered by the Halifax Regional Municipality.
Transportation
The business park is located at the junction of two major highways; Highway 102 and Highway 103. The park is approximately 10 kilometres from Downtown Halifax. An abandoned Canadian National Railway line runs through the park as a rail trail. The park is also serviced by Halifax Transit buses: 21 Timberlea, 23 Timberlea (rush hour only at St. Margarets Bay Rd and Lakelands Blvd), and 52 Crosstown.
Mystery walls
The Bayer's Lake Mystery Walls discovered several years ago during an expansion of the Bayers Lake Business Park. Extending more than 200 metres and measuring as high as two metres, the stone wall is baffling many historians.[1]
Tenants
- Major retailers
- Atlantic Superstore
- Bouclair HOME
- Costco
- Kent Building Supplies
- Target - sold to Canadian Tire in May 2015[2]
- Walmart Supercentre
- Minor retailers
- Ashley Furniture
- Chapters
- Cleve's Source for Sports
- Home Outfitters
- Homesense
- Kartbahn Racing
- Lane Home Furnishings
- La-Z-Boy Furniture Gallery
- Lee Valley Tools
- Mark's Work Warehouse
- Marshalls
- Michael's
- Moores
- Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation
- Old Navy
- PetSmart
- Pets Unlimited
- Privateers Harley-Davidson
- Putting Edge
- Racing Around
- Sears Appliance & Furniture
- Sport Chek
- Staples Business Depot
- The Brick
- The Shoe Company
- Value Village
- Winners
- Restaurants
- A&W
- Burger King
- Boston Pizza
- Canadiana Restaurant
- Dairy Queen
- East Side Mario's
- Harvey's
- Kokomos
- McDonald's
- Jack Astor's
- Jungle Jim's Eatery
- Montana's
- Moxie's
- Pizza Delight
- Pizza Pizza (in Cineplex Cinemas)
- Pretzelmaker (in Cineplex Cinemas)
- Starbucks (in Chapters)
- Subway
- Swiss Chalet (on Lacewood Drive)
- Tim Hortons
- Wendy's
- Opa
- Hotels
- Lakeview Inn and Suites
- Comfort Inn
- Theatres
- Cineplex Cinemas with IMAX