While not ready to name names, Trilogy Group president/CEO John Evans said the company has offers in place and is negotiating with developers interested in the CAYET property at the junction of the Inland Island Highway and the Comox Valley Parkway.

"Since June we've spoken with many major retailers both in Canada and the United States," Evans said Friday at the Lantern Festival in Cumberland. Trilogy was the main sponsor of the event.

CAYET is a 700-acre, mixed-use development, hailed as a commercial hub of retail, restaurants, hotels and housing at an acreage once owned by Comox Timber. The property falls within the Cumberland boundary.

"To have the only zoned land with commercial development allowable on the freeway from Nanaimo to Campbell River is significant," Evans said. "People are going to find us if we don't find them. For those companies looking to expand in North Central Vancouver Island they're going to be paying a lot of attention to lot-zoned land for commercial development. It gives them the opportunity to reach to the north and reach to the south.

"There's interest in the Comox Valley," he added. "It's one of the growth regions in B.C. We've seen Costco open in June; Walmart has made a decision to expand. Target out of Minneapolis has made the decision having bought Zellers to retain that store (in Courtenay).

"All of the indications are that the Comox Valley continues to be an area of interest in terms of the growth of this country and the growth of the province."

Trilogy will be in a position to make announcements as the project moves forward.

All in due time.

"Crown Isle has been more than 20 years," Evans said as an example.

Still, construction could begin by summer, pending servicing and financing, he said recently before Cumberland council.

CAYET's anchor is the Vancouver Island Visitor Centre, which Evans said creates a presence on the land.

"It will be very helpful to us in terms of our marketing for CAYET," he said.

reporter@comoxvalleyrecord.com