Article
Nanaimo’s Largest Strata Project Signals Return to Industrial Roots
August 10, 2026 3 Minute Read
CBRE’s Patrick Gunville is leading the sale and lease of Jingle Pot Industrial Park, which he says is the largest industrial strata project currently on the market in Nanaimo, B.C.
The 69,680 sq. ft. project has 24 industrial strata units across three concrete buildings, with sizes ranging from 1,962 sq. ft. to 3,574 sq. ft. Units can be combined to create larger contiguous floor plans.
Jingle Pot Industrial Park is located near two major highways, close to Nanaimo Airport and has direct access to the Lower Mainland via two ferry terminals. The project is expected to be delivered in 2028.
Nanaimo Rising
Nanaimo is an “up-and-coming” industrial market, says Gunville. “Compared to what properties would cost to own or lease on the Lower Mainland, it’s much more affordable to operate an industrial business here.”
Nanaimo’s tourism industry has traditionally been a major economic driver for Central Vancouver Island. “But service-based businesses alone aren’t enough to create significant growth,” says Gunville.
“So an industrial project like Jingle Pot gives the city an opportunity to position itself as more of a manufacturing and logistics hub.”
Attracting Investment
Gunville has been working with the Nanaimo Prosperity Corporation to make the region more attractive to investors and drive growth. The economic development organization is a partnership of the City of Nanaimo, Snuneymuxw First Nation, Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo Port Authority, Nanaimo Airport Commission and the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce.
“We’re working together to create a system that makes it easier to apply for business licenses and make new development applications more seamless,” Gunville explains.
“In a way, we’re going back to our industrial roots. Industrial activity played a defining role in the early development of Nanaimo and transformed it into one of the most important industrial centres on Canada’s Pacific Coast.”
Jingle Pot Industrial Park, located on Jingle Pot Road, is named after a signaling tool used by 19th century coal miners. A jingle pot was a metal canister filled with stones attached to a rope that miners would pull to rattle the stones and signal to hoist operators to start pulling up coal carts.
No Vacancy
Nanaimo’s industrial market is highly competitive and undersupplied, with an ultra-low availability rate of 0.74%, according to local CBRE market research.
“We virtually have no vacancy,” says Gunville, adding that most industrial properties in Nanaimo are owner-occupied and aren’t selling anytime soon.
“The only way for new or growing companies to find space is build it themselves, or to buy into a project like this one.”
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